Increases in sea surface temperature have led to an increase in the amount of atmospheric water vapor over the oceans. 2, 3īecause the oceans continuously interact with the atmosphere, sea surface temperature can also have profound effects on global climate. Changes in reef habitat and nutrient supply could dramatically alter ocean ecosystems and lead to declines in fish populations, which in turn could affect people who depend on fishing for food or jobs. For example, variations in ocean temperature can affect what species of plants, animals, and microbes are present in a location, alter migration and breeding patterns, threaten sensitive ocean life such as corals, and change the frequency and intensity of harmful algal blooms such as “red tide.” 1 Over the long term, increases in sea surface temperature could also reduce the circulation patterns that bring nutrients from the deep sea to surface waters. As the oceans absorb more heat, sea surface temperature increases, and the ocean circulation patterns that transport warm and cold water around the globe change.Ĭhanges in sea surface temperature can alter marine ecosystems in several ways. The surface temperature of the world’s oceans varies mainly with latitude, with the warmest waters generally near the equator and the coldest waters in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. ![]() Sea surface temperature-the temperature of the water at the ocean surface-is an important physical attribute of the world’s oceans.
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