There is a fever raging in the ocean. Last month it was worst off the eastern coast of North America, where the sea surface temperature was as much as 13.8C higher than the 1981-2011 average for this time of year. Not only was that a record; it was an astounding leap upwards: more than double the previous record.
There are similar though less dramatic ocean heat waves popping up in unusual places like the North Pacific, the West African coast, and the equatorial part of the Indian Ocean. They are quite persistent, and some of the scientists who work on ocean heat are very worried.
"I don't want to say this is climate change, or natural variability or a mixture of both, we don't know yet. But we do see this change," said Karina Von Schuckmann of Mercator Ocean International, lead author of the latest report on sea surface temperature. Many other climate scientists share her anxiety, but also her reluctance to commit to a conclusion.
