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What Is This Indicator, and Why Is It Important?
This indicator describes whether sea surface temperature (SST)
is above or below average. Using an index, the indicator tracks
how much regional average temperatures in any given year deviate
from the average for the 14-year period, for waters within
25 miles of the coast. Thus, a “1.1” on the graph
means that the SST for that region in that year was 10% warmer
than the 14-year average for that region. The indicator defines
“average SST” for a region as the average temperature
for the warmest season in that region.
Water temperature directly affects the species of plants
(such as algae, seagrasses, marsh plants, and mangroves) and
animals (microscopic animals, larger invertebrates, fish,
and mammals) that live in a particular region. In addition,
increases in temperature are thought to be associated with
the degradation of coral reefs (bleaching) and may increase
the frequency or extent of blooms of harmful algae (see Harmful
Algal Blooms). There is widespread concern that global
climate change may lead to increases in SST. Such changes
could, in turn, lead to increases in the strength and frequency
of storms and changes in ocean currents, such as the Gulf
Stream, that would in turn lead to shifts in regional climate.
What Do the Data Show? While SST varies
noticeably from year to year, and there are individual reports
of gradually increasing temperatures in several of these ocean
regions (see the technical note for citations), the data presented
here do not show any trends.
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