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Researchers deployed umbrella-like shading devices over coral reefs in the Florida Keys to test whether reducing sunlight exposure can help corals survive periods of extreme ocean heat. The experiment is aimed at limiting coral bleaching, a stress response triggered when warming waters cause corals to expel the algae they depend on for nutrients and color.
Scientists are racing to protect coral reefs ahead of a forecast global mass bleaching event driven by record ocean temperatures and a strengthening El Niño. Restoration teams are testing methods including breeding corals bred for greater heat and acid tolerance, applying microbial and nutrient treatments, and using underwater speakers to attract coral larvae to degraded reefs.
The World Meteorological Organization has issued its most confident El Niño forecast ever, putting the odds at nearly 100% that the current event will persist through February 2027. Officials say this El Niño, driven by unusually warm eastern Pacific waters, is on track to become the strongest ever recorded, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres warning it is being 'supersized.' The phenomenon is already disrupting weather patterns globally and is expected to intensify further in coming months.
Scientists report that ocean surface temperatures have reached their highest levels ever measured, coinciding with an intensifying El Niño weather pattern. The warming trend spans large portions of the world's oceans and is being tracked closely by climate researchers monitoring its effects on marine and atmospheric systems.
The EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service recorded average ocean surface temperatures reaching 70 degrees Fahrenheit this month, the highest level since measurements began, and unusually early since such peaks typically occur in spring. One researcher suggested the reading could be the warmest the oceans have been in 125,000 years, spanning back to the last interglacial period. The spike coincides with a strong El Niño pattern layering on top of long-term human-caused warming.