Record-Smashing Heat in the World’s Oceans, Explained: QuickTake

A surge in the temperature of the world’s oceans is continuing into 2024. What’s behind the unprecedented readings, and what do they mean for people, wildlife and the wider climate?

1. Just how high are these temperatures?

Alarmingly high. Since early May of last year, the average global sea surface temperature — excluding waters around the poles — has been at record seasonal highs every day, in data that goes back to 1979. It hit a new recordin February, surpassing August’s peak. It generally tops outin March, the end of summer in the Southern Hemisphere, which contains the ...