Ocean warming threatens carbon storage and drives extreme European sea temperatures

Rising ocean temperatures are significantly impacting the ability of marine ecosystems to store carbon and are driving extreme sea surface temperatures across European coasts.

A study involving the Leibniz Centre for Marine Tropical Research (ZMT) and the University of Cádiz indicates that warming waters reduce the proportion of dissolved organic carbon that remains stable in the ocean for long periods. Research on seagrass and macroalgae shows that even slight temperature increases alter the composition of carbon compounds released by these plants, potentially weakening their role in long-term climate protection.

Simultaneously, an analysis by World Weather Attribution (WWA) reports that sea temperatures around Europe have reached extreme levels, in some areas exceeding averages by more than six degrees. The warming is largely attributed to climate change caused by fossil fuel combustion. The Mediterranean Sea has seen a warming of approximately 2 degrees due to human-induced climate change, while the Gulf of Biscay and the Iberian Peninsula have experienced increases of 1.4 degrees. These shifts have led to widespread marine heatwaves affecting the majority of coasts in these regions.