The rate of ocean warming has nearly doubled since 2005, and in 2023, more than a fifth of the ocean's surface will experience a major heatwave, MTI reports based on a report by the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Ocean researcher Karina von Schuckmann said in a video conference in which she presented the report that the oceans have been warming continuously since the 1960s. Since 2005, its heat absorption has been 1.05 watts per square meter, compared to 0.58 watts per square meter in previous decades.
The condition of the oceans, which cover 70 percent of the Earth's surface, also greatly affects the Earth's climate. As a result of rising water temperatures, destructive storms are becoming more frequent, which also cause severe flooding.
Ocean warming is also accompanied by a doubling of heat waves at sea: in 2023, 22% of the sea surface will experience at least one extreme heat wave. The duration of heat waves is typically getting longer, with the annual average increasing since 2008 from the previous 20 to 40 days.
The report also revealed that the seafloor in the Barents Sea, part of the Arctic Ocean, appears to have already entered a state of steady heating.
In August 2022, near the coast of the Spanish Balearic Islands, a record high in water temperature of 29.2 degrees Celsius was recorded, which has not been seen for 40 years.
The researchers also showed that in the same year, the effects of the marine heatwave were also felt 1,500 meters below the surface of the Mediterranean Sea.
Due to rising water temperatures, marine organisms are often forced to migrate or may die en masse, ecosystems are damaged, and disruptions to food distribution may occur. In her presentation, Karina von Schuckmann also highlighted that rising temperatures can harm fish reproduction, which can also have negative consequences for fishing.
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