Recent research indicates that ocean temperatures in the Fijian archipelago have reached their highest levels in 653 years. This study, conducted by an international team of earth and climate scientists led by Jens Zinke, a Professor of Palaeobiology at the University of Leicester’s School of Geography, analyzed coral data as a key aspect.
Corals, as they grow, document the chemical makeup of surrounding ocean water within their skeletons continuously over centuries. Zinke explained that “these corals act like a living temperature sensor.” By juxtaposing their findings with instrumental data, the researchers revealed unprecedented warmth in recent years, highlighting the effects of ongoing global warming on the Pacific’s climate dynamics.
The study conclusively shows that the current ocean warmth is the highest observed in over six centuries. The researchers warn that the consistent warming rates in the western and central Pacific may have detrimental impacts on the ecosystems and nations of the Pacific Islands.
Since the late 1800s, human activities have contributed to rising ocean temperatures, leading to marine heatwaves that harm coastal ecosystems. The team’s findings illuminate the interactions between temperature trends across the tropical and subtropical regions of the Pacific Ocean over the last six hundred years. The recent simultaneous warming in these areas results in decreased temperature gradients, significantly influencing Pacific Islands and altering climate patterns like droughts and floods throughout the Indo-Pacific region.