Data also shows that the global average air temperature also broke the February record.
The world’s oceans have reached their highest temperature on record, raising fears that coral reefs are on the brink of a massive and potentially lethal heat shock. New satellite data from the European Copernicus Climate Change Service shows the global average sea surface temperature in February was 21.06C, higher than the previous record of 20.98C set in August last year. Maps released by the organisation show huge areas of the world's oceans were much warmer than the long-term average.
Derek Manzello, the coordinator of NOAA's Coral Reef Watch told the Reuters news agency: 'It's looking like the entirety of the Southern Hemisphere is probably going to bleach this year. 'We are literally sitting on the cusp of the worst bleaching event in the history of the planet.' Data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service also shows the global average air temperature broke the February record, reaching 13.54C.
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