1 day ago
scripps_ocean on Instagram: "🌡️🌊Numbers don’t lie: The ocean is warming. (➡️Swipe to see the data)For more than 100 years, scientists at Scripps Oceanography …"
🌡️🌊Numbers don’t lie: The ocean is warming. (➡️Swipe to see the data)For more than 100 years, scientists at Scripps Oceanography have been collecting daily ocean temperature and salinity data off Scripps Pier in La Jolla as part of the Shore Stations Program. Now, that long-term record is sounding the alarm.Across California, multiple Shore Stations are reporting all-time daily temperature highs.“This is significant because the warming is happening across most California coastal stations—and it’s been ongoing since late 2025,” said Scripps biological oceanographer Melissa Carter, who leads the Shore Stations Program.What’s happening right now:Winter and spring sea-surface temperatures off California have been 1-2°C (2-4°F) above the 90th percentile for over three months! Five days over the 90th percentile is considered a marine heat wave.Here’s a look at how extreme ocean surface temperatures have been at:Scripps Pier: 2-4°C (3-7°F) above the 109-year daily averageSan Clemente: 2-4°C (3-7°F) above the 61-year daily averageNewport Beach: 2-5ºC (3-9ºF) above the 102-year daily averageSanta Barbara: 2-6°C (3-11°F) above the 71-year daily averageZuma Beach: 1-4°C (2-7°F) above the 70-year daily averageGranite Canyon: 1-3°C (2-5°F) above the 55-year daily averagePacific Grove: 1-4°C (2-7°F) above the 107-year daily averageFarallon Islands: 1-4°C (2-7°F) above the 101-year daily averageTrinidad Beach: 1-3°C (2-5°F) above the 51-year daily averageAnd here’s the twist: researchers think this warming isn’t driven by an incoming El Niño. Instead, persistent high-pressure systems are weakening winds and reducing upwelling, trapping heat along the coast. These long-term measurements are critical for understanding how ocean conditions are changing, and what that means for marine ecosystems, fisheries and coastal communities.Thanks to @castateparks, @BirchAquarium, @scstatelifeguards, @newportbeachlifeguards, @pointblue_conservationscience,@hopkinsmarinestation and other partners for collecting daily temperature data! Head to the link in our bio for more information and the latest temperature readings.
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