CLIMATE CONVERSATIONS: California's Warming Ocean

Ocean temperatures from roughly San Francisco to the Mexican border have heated to highs not seen since the 2014-2016 incident named “the Blob.”  The temperatures recorded at Scripps Pier have broken more than 25 daily temperature records so far this year.  As it did then and with a high degree of certainty will do now, this new “blob” will affect weather and ecosystems for months into the future.

Human activities associated with climate change are undoubtedly helping to push ocean temperatures to new records.  There is better than an even chance that an El Ni֘no will emerge in the next couple of months, which is associated with warm, wet conditions in Southern California, perhaps persisting until the end of the year.

Likely consequences from the double whammy of the new blob and an el Ni֘no include major disruptions to marine ecosystems, such as sea bird die-offs, fishery collapse, sea lion starvation and harmful algal blooms.  Humans won’t escape, as May grey and June gloom will likely be less, which will mean warmer air temperatures and increased humidity this summer.