Global study finds ocean warming is taking a year-round toll on marine life

Global study finds ocean warming is taking a year-round toll on marine life, even beyond the summer months scientists traditionally monitor. The research links more than 200 documented ecological events to ocean warming during the first year the planet’s temperature briefly exceeded 2.7°F (1.5°C) above pre-industrial levels. From June 2023 to June 2024, global temperatures crossed that Paris Agreement danger threshold, while average sea-surface temperatures averaged over 1.8°F (1.0°C) above pre-industrial values. Led by Shannon Klein of KAUST in Saudi Arabia, the study compiled impacts from papers, government and conservation reports, and news sources across 17 languages. Events ranged from coral bleaching and harmful algal blooms to fish kills and failing harvests. Nearly all impacts (98%) aligned with unusually warm sea temperatures, with about a third occurring in typically cooler seasons.