ocean temperature

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Study Warns We Could 'Witness Demise of Natural Wonder'

Authors say record-high ocean heat is putting Great Barrier Reef in danger

(Newser) - In a sea of grim stories about the health and fate of the Great Barrier Reef comes one of the grimmest: "Highest ocean heat in four centuries places Great Barrier Reef in danger." That's the title of a study published Tuesday in Nature . Researchers say they reconstructed...

The World's Fish Are Shrinking
The World's Fish Are Shrinking
May 12, 2024 9:00 AM CDT

The World's Fish Are Shrinking

The trend has been ongoing, but scientists can't pinpoint what's happening biologically

(Newser) - The ocean's fish are getting smaller, posing a threat to global food security for the 3 billion people whose meals depend on them. And while scientists have a name for the puzzling phenomenon—the temperature-size rule—they cannot pinpoint the mechanism that's being triggered to cause it. "...

In the World's Oceans, 'a Cause for Great Concern'

Earth's seas have busted temperature records every day over the past year, per BBC analysis

(Newser) - This past April was the hottest on record, according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service, making it the 11th month in a row to claim that designation. Now, using data from that same agency, the BBC finds that the Earth's oceans are fighting a similarly heated battle—...

Amid 'Grim Global Outlook,' This Shark Species Thrives

Juvenile bull shark population off Alabama grew fivefold in past 20 years as water temps warmed

(Newser) - The frog hasn't noticed it's slowly boiling to death, and neither do bull sharks off the coast of Alabama, apparently. Or, if they do, they're going out with a bang, multiplying at a rate that has brought the juvenile population's numbers up fivefold over the past...

Reef Alert System Now Considers 'Worst Case Scenario'

NOAA's Coral Reef Watch adjusts bleaching alerts as what was once 'unimaginable' turns real

(Newser) - The US government program that informs coral bleaching response plans around the world has added three new alert levels to its heat stress category system after stress on coral reefs spun off the charts. Since 2009, the NOAA's Coral Reef Watch (CRW) has issued bleaching alerts up to Level...

At Tip of Florida, Sea Water Hits 'Hot Tub' Temps

Temperature reading exceeds 100 degrees two days in a row, though there are some issues

(Newser) - The water temperature on the tip of Florida hit hot tub levels, exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit two days in a row. And meteorologists say that could potentially be the hottest seawater ever measured, although there are some issues with the reading, the AP reports. Weather records for sea water temperature...

Marine Heat Wave Puts Florida in 'Uncharted Territory'

Temperatures are breaking records at sea as well as on land

(Newser) - Florida is dealing with record-breaking temperatures not just on land but in the surrounding waters, where a marine heat wave is posing a major threat to corals and other marine life. Water temperatures around Florida are in the mid-90s Fahrenheit, around 5 degrees higher than normal, and the heat wave...

Scientists Warn of 'Scary' Collapse of Ocean Current
Scientists Warn of 'Scary'
Collapse of Ocean Current
in case you missed it
Aug 8, 2021 8:00 AM CDT

Scientists Warn of 'Scary' Collapse of Ocean Current

Researcher says Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is destabilizing

(Newser) - An ocean current that is effectively the engine that drives weather patterns is in danger, a new study suggests. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is a current that moves surface water north from the tropics, warming seawater and adding salt, bringing warm water to the East Coast and Europe, then...

Study on Our Coral Reefs: 'Honestly, Most Sites Are Out'
Coral Reefs in the Red Sea?
That May Be All That's Left
in case you missed it
Feb 22, 2020 7:00 AM CST

Coral Reefs in the Red Sea? That May Be All That's Left

Things aren't looking good by 2100, according to new simulations

(Newser) - "Honestly, most sites are out." That's the grim pronouncement from a University of Hawaii at Manoa researcher who looked at the likely status of the planet's coral reefs by 2100 based on projected climate conditions. Renee Setter and her team discovered that small areas of Baja...

Biggest Mass Die-Off of Seabirds Blamed on 'the Blob'

Huge mass of warm water killed 1M along US West Coast, says study

(Newser) - The name is a little jokey, but the consequences were not: Scientists are blaming the deaths of an estimated 1 million seabirds on the US West Coast on a giant patch of warm water they call "the Blob." Researchers think that amounts to the biggest mass die-off of...

2 Big Factors Made Harvey So Potent
2 Big Factors Made
Harvey So Potent
Aug 28, 2017 9:19 AM CDT

2 Big Factors Made Harvey So Potent

Unusually warm water in the Gulf and no wind to push the storm away

(Newser) - Meteorologists seem to be running out of adjectives to describe the devastation of Harvey , with phrases such as "beyond anything experienced" and "1-in-1,000 year event" being thrown around. But why is Harvey so bad? The New York Times explains that it involves an unusual combination of factors,...

This Could Be the Only Way to Save the Great Barrier Reef

Cloud brightening could cool the ocean just enough: researchers

(Newser) - You'd think the search for a solution to bleaching coral in the Great Barrier Reef would have scientists looking down into the ocean, rather than up at the sky. But clouds could be key to combating warming ocean temperatures blamed for the bleaching, say Australian researchers. They believe that...

This $1.4B Warship Doesn't Work in Warm Water

British destroyer basically loses all power while sailing in Persian Gulf

(Newser) - Crew members in the British Royal Navy keep coming up against a pesky, possibly dangerous Achilles' heel as their $1.4 billion warships cruise through the Persian Gulf: warm waters. Water temps there can hit 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and that's causing the ships to lose power, CNN reports. During...

Discovery May Provide 50-Day Warning for Heat Waves

Scientist spot pattern with ocean temperatures

(Newser) - Meteorologists might be able to predict heat waves on the East Coast up to 50 days in advance by keeping an eye on ocean temperatures far, far away. Scientists writing in Nature Geoscience say they've picked up on a connection: When a particular weather event known as the Pacific...

Earth's 'Missing Heat' Found in Atlantic
 Earth's 'Missing Heat' 
 Found in Atlantic 
STUDY SAYS
Aug 24, 2014 12:48 PM CDT

Earth's 'Missing Heat' Found in Atlantic

Researchers say it's behind global warming pause, which is only temporary

(Newser) - One odd thing not in dispute about global warming is that it's actually been paused for about 15 years now. Though a number of theories have been batted around, a new study thinks it's found the true culprit—the Atlantic Ocean has been absorbing heat that would normally...

Rising Sea Temperatures Killing Vital Algae

Phytoplankton levels fell 40% in the last 60 years

(Newser) - Rising sea temperatures are killing phytoplankton, the microscopic organisms that feed the lower rungs of the food chain in the world's oceans and create much of our oxygen, scientists say. Researchers at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia used a combination of old records and newer satellite images to determine a...

Global Warming Will Buoy East Coast Sea Level

Altered Atlantic current means higher flood risk from Boston-DC

(Newser) - The effect of climate change on Atlantic currents will boost the threat of flooding along the US East Coast more than glacial melting alone, a study predicts. New York, Boston, and Washington, DC, are expected to experience more shoreline encroachment and have higher risk of storm surges as changing currents...

Seals Plunge for Climate Data
 Seals Plunge for Climate Data

Aug 17, 2008 1:29 PM CDT

Seals Plunge for Climate Data

Scientists use deep-diving creatures for Antarctic research

(Newser) - Giant seals living in the chilly waters of Antarctica are helping researchers gather important data on climate change, reports Popular Mechanics. The elephant seals, tagged with hat-like sensors, make frequent dives deep into the Southern Ocean and surface with valuable details about water temperature and salinity. The dense waters of...

Jellyfish Surge Is Ocean Call for Help

Ocean is 'sending us a message,' warns expert

(Newser) - Jellyfish populations are surging because of rising sea temperatures and overfishing, which leaves them with few predators and no competition for plankton, reports the New York Times. Fishermen are finding nets “filled with more jellyfish than fish,” said one, and swimmers are reporting increasing numbers of jellyfish stings,...

Oceans Get Gloomy Report
Oceans Get Gloomy Report
Feb 15, 2008 9:20 AM CST

Oceans Get Gloomy Report

Global warming, pollution, fishing all affect marine life

(Newser) - More than 40% of marine ecosystems are being dramatically altered by a combination of pollution, fishing, and global warming, researchers warn in a new study. In fact, no area of the ocean remains unaffected by human activity, reports National Geographic. The biggest problem is global warming, which not only changes...

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