The ocean is usually a source of coolness for Floridians, but that hasn’t been the case for the past week as water temperatures hit 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
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The situation was worse in the south of the state as a marine buoy recorded temperatures rising to 97°F on Tuesday and Wednesday. We note that the temperatures then dropped on Thursday (94°F) and Friday morning (88°F), reported the American media CBS News.
Atlantic Ocean temperatures have been breaking records for several months, The Weather Channel news channel meteorologist Stephanie Abrams told CBS Mornings.
“Not only are we seeing heat in the Pacific with the formation of El Niño, but also over the North Atlantic. Water temperatures near Miami [avoisinent les 95°F]“, she said.
According to Liv Williamson, who studies reefs at the University of Miami’s Coral Reef Futures Lab, coral bleaching events have occurred in the Belize area, “which is really alarming this early in the summer.”
“We are only in July. This heat will continue to build up and these corals will be forced to deal with dangerously hot conditions for much longer than normal.
Higher water temperatures also pose greater risks of toxic blooms in the ocean, a phenomenon known among other things as red tide. This can endanger marine life, according to CBS News.