Recent tweets from various experts and publications highlight a concerning trend in global and regional sea temperatures. Michael E. Mann noted the transition from El Nino to La Nina, leading to a temporary drop in global sea surface temperatures, but stressed the ongoing warming trend due to carbon emissions, concluding that "Truth is bad enough!" Prof. Terry Hughes pointed out the plateauing of accumulated heat stress along the #GreatBarrierReef, with current levels matching or exceeding those of major coral bleaching events since 1998. Hughes also mentioned that heat stress is expected to peak in three weeks on the southern #GreatBarrierReef. The Atlantic reported on the prolonged suffering of Caribbean corals six months after an extreme marine heat wave, indicating a slow recovery process, as detailed by @HakaiMagazine. The New Yorker highlighted the continued rise in ocean temperatures in 2024, with a researcher commenting on the accelerated pace of climate change. Lastly, Hughes updated that the east coast of Tasmania is experiencing such high accumulated heat stress that @NOAA has run out of colors to represent it, emphasizing the immediacy of the issue.
Update: Accumulated heat stress this summer along the east coast of Tasmania is now so high that @NOAA has run out of colours. This is real-time, everyone - not 2050. https://t.co/v5D331GWsf https://t.co/FvthijlWFA https://t.co/0YWgQr28Wj
Last year, ocean temperatures remained abnormally high—and have continued to climb in 2024. “It’s like the whole climate just fast-forwarded by 50 or 100 years. That’s how strange this looks,” a researcher said. https://t.co/XWolHxgqaT
Six months after an extreme marine heat wave, Caribbean corals are still suffering. Like recuperation after a long illness, recovery could take a while, @HakaiMagazine reports: https://t.co/SQrpOFXNF1
3 weeks before heat stress this summer finally peaks on the southern #GreatBarrierReef: https://t.co/An2HqVCgDK
Accumulated heat stress (Degree Heating Weeks) is beginning to plateau along the #GreatBarrierReef as Sea Surface temperatures drop. On many reefs, DHW (lower left) matches or exceeds levels reached in all previous coral bleaching events in 1998, 2002, 2016, 2017, 2020 & 2022. https://t.co/hq3NxsoJCY
As El Nino gives way to La Nina, we're seeing a drop-off in global sea surface temperatures (as some of us said would happen). The problem was never about one or two years--it's about the TREND. Planet will continue to warm until carbon emissions reach zero. Truth is bad enough! https://t.co/Z5SophMej5 https://t.co/aRCzfqnYN3