--- title: "The Ocean Hasn’t Been This Hot in 125,000 Years, Alarmed Researcher Suggests" description: "Ocean surface temperatures are also steadily creeping up, hitting the hottest point since records began this month at 70 degrees Fahrenheit." date: "2026-08-24" modified: "2026-08-24" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/science-energy/ocean-hot-125000-years-alarmed-researcher" categories: - "Climate Change" - "Environment" - "Global Warming" - "Science & Energy" --- # The Ocean Hasn’t Been This Hot in 125,000 Years, Alarmed Researcher Suggests ![The sun rises over the North Sea seen from the RSPB's Bempton Cliffs reserve on the East Yorkshire coast.]() *Dan Kitwood/Getty Images* Just as scientists predicted, this year's "super" El Niño, a natural global weather pattern, is [shattering all kinds of records]() as it combines with human-caused climate change. July already [proved to be the hottest month on record]() in the US, with the country experiencing average temperatures exceeding those during the July 1936 Dust Bowl, an environmental and agricultural disaster. Ocean surface temperatures are also steadily creeping up, [hitting 70 degrees Fahrenheit this month](), the hottest point since records began. That's despite ocean heat records [usually being set in March and April](), following the austral summer. In fact, as University of Ottawa environmental studies professor Ryan Katz-Rosene [pointed out in a tweet over the weekend](), this new record may be a new high "for the entire Holocene period, and possibly even as far back as the last Interglacial 125,000 years ago." "Should be major news!" he argued. The record temperatures were observed by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). They signal that more extreme weather events could be in store for us before the end of the year, including intense rainfall and storms. A hotter ocean also means it's far less able to absorb excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, intensifying the greenhouse effect. "The record is another clear signal of an ocean under growing stress," C4S researcher Samantha Burgess [told *The Guardian*](). "El Niño is adding heat to the system, but it is doing so on top of decades of human-driven warming." "The consequences are already visible: the number of marine heatwave days globally has more than tripled since the early 1990s," she added. It's an alarming situation. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, [around 42 percent of global oceans]() are covered in marine heat waves, approaching a record proportion of 46 percent set in 2024. What to do about the alarming trend is as clear as it has been for many years. "Two key actions are needed to address this record ocean warming," Campaign for Nature director Brian O’Donnell told *The Guardian*. "Fossil fuel emissions need to be rapidly reduced. Meanwhile, it is essential that countries protect marine and coastal ecosystems." **More on rising ocean temperatures:** [*Scientists Horrified by Record-Breaking Ocean Temperatures*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()