The sea surface reached an average temperature of 27.6 °C in the Balearics on Monday, which is 4.7 degrees above the historical data for this time of year, in a situation ‘never seen before’, according to researcher Mélanie Juza, from the Balearic Islands Coastal Observation and Forecasting System (ICTS SOCIB).
‘I have never seen this in the Balearic Sea, it is a record among the records recorded in recent years,’ said the scientist responsible for the Satellite Remote Sensing installation at SOCIB, comparing the average temperature with historical data for the period 1982-2015, in statements to EFE. This ‘enormous anomaly’ of 4.7 degrees, recorded ‘very early in the year,’ is associated with a very intense marine heatwave since the end of May.
The marine heatwave phenomenon occurs when temperatures remain 90% above historical data, something that has been happening for weeks, with anomalies of more than 2 degrees. She adds that, for the last two weeks, it has been a category 2 marine wave due to its intensity. It adds that the “Dragonera” buoy, owned by Puertos del Estado, reached 29.8 °C on Monday at 3 p.m., ‘a record for 30 June’.
Juza explains that ‘at this time of year it is normal for the sea temperature to rise every day, but the anomaly that has already been reached is also going to rise. It looks like we are going to see a 5-degree anomaly in the coming days,’ she added, referring to the ICTS SOCIB’s ten-day forecast models. These forecasts indicate that there will be a peak temperature in the next 4 or 5 days in the Balearics, followed by a slight drop.
Ocean warming affects marine ecosystems and also the properties of the ocean because it can alter its circulation and vertical movements and cause sea levels to rise. ‘But, specifically, what is happening now is tremendous, I have never seen it before and I am completely unaware of the consequences it may have,’ admits the oceanographer.
‘We will have to study the impact at the local level, on the surface and on the coast,’ says Juza about this unprecedented situation. She gives as an example that, although ‘there are marine organisms that can withstand high temperatures, they also need to rest, and now there is no rest.’ The researcher points out that the Balearic Sea has already experienced very hot summers in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Data from ICTS SOCIB, which has been collecting satellite observations for 43 years and carries out real-time monitoring, allows scientists to continuously monitor the state of the sea, its variations and anomalies, which is essential for analysing the scale of the phenomenon and informing researchers, environmental agencies and governments. They can also detect extreme events and analyse long-term trends.