The water temperature on the tip of Florida hit hot tub levels, exceeding 100 degrees (37.8 degrees Celsius) two days in a row. And meteorologists say that could potentially be the hottest seawater ever measured, although there are some issues with the reading.
Just 26 miles (40 kilometers) away, scientists saw devastating effects from prolonged hot water surrounding Florida 鈥� devastating coral bleaching and even some death in what had been one of the Florida Keys鈥� most resilient reefs. has been setting this month.
Weather records for sea water temperature are unofficial, and there are certain conditions in this reading that could disqualify it for a top mark, meteorologists said. But the initial reading on a buoy at hit 101.1 degrees (38.4 Celsius) Monday evening, according to National Weather Service meteorologist George Rizzuto. On Sunday night the same buoy showed an online reading of 100.2 (37.9 Celsius) degrees.
鈥淚t seems plausible,鈥� Rizzuto said. 鈥淭hat is a potential record.鈥�
While there aren鈥檛 official water temperature records, a (37.6 Celsius) mark in Kuwait Bay in July 2020 as the world鈥檚 highest recorded sea surface temperature. Rizzuto said a new record from Florida is plausible because nearby buoys measured in the 98 and 99 (36.7 and 37.2 Celsius) degree range.
鈥淭his is a hot tub. I like my hot tub around 100, 101, (37.8, 38.3 Celsius). That鈥檚 what was recorded yesterday,鈥� said Yale Climate Connections meteorologist Jeff Masters. Hot tub maker Jacuzzi (37.8 and 38.9 Celsius).
鈥淲e鈥檝e never seen a record-breaking event like this before,鈥� Masters said.
But he and University of Miami tropical meteorologist Brian McNoldy said while the hot temperatures fit with what鈥檚 happening around Florida, it may not be accepted as a record because the area is shallow, has sea grasses in it and may be influenced by warm land in the nearby Everglades National Park.
Still, McNoldy said, 鈥渋t鈥檚 amazing.鈥�
The fact that two 100 degree measurements were taken in consecutive days gives credence to the readings, McNoldy said. Water temperatures in the area for more than two weeks.
There aren鈥檛 many coral reefs in Manatee Bay, but elsewhere in the Florida Keys, scientists diving at Cheeca Rocks found bleaching and even death in some of the Keys most resilient corals, said Ian Enochs, lead of the coral program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory.
NOAA researcher Andrew Ibarra, who took his kayak to the area because of the hot water, said, 鈥淚 found that the entire reef was bleached out. Every single coral colony was exhibiting some form of paling, partial bleaching or full out bleaching.鈥�
Some coral even had died, he said. This is on top of bleaching as NOAA increased the level of alert for coral problems earlier this month.
Until the 1980s coral bleaching was mostly unheard of around the globe yet 鈥渘ow we鈥檝e reached the point where it鈥檚 become routine,鈥� Enochs said. Bleaching, which doesn鈥檛 kill coral but weakens it and could lead to death, occurs when water temperatures pass the upper 80s (low 30s Celsius), Enochs said.
鈥淭his is more, earlier than we have ever seen,鈥� Enochs said. 鈥淚鈥檓 nervous by how early this is occurring.鈥�
This all comes as sea surface temperatures worldwide have in April, May and June, according to NOAA. And temperatures in the North Atlantic are off the charts 鈥� as much as 9 to 11 degrees (5 to 6 degrees Celsius) warmer than normal in some spots near Newfoundland, McNoldy said.
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Seth Borenstein, The Associated Press
