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BUSAN, Aug. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — July’s average sea surface temperature in the waters between South Korea and Japan reached the highest level in 40 years, a think tank said Tuesday, calling for countermeasures against ocean subtropicalization.
According to the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, the East Sea’s average sea surface temperature was 22.2 C last month, the highest since relevant record keeping began in 1982 and 2.7 C higher than the average of the past 30 years.
Considering an increase of a mere 0.3 C in the entire world’s sea surface temperature in the same period, the East Sea’s temperature rises have been exceptionally steep, the state-run institute noted.
The average water temperature in the East Sea in July rose from 18.9 C in the 1980s to 19.8 C in 2010, marking a rise of 0.9 C in a period of three decades. This year, it was 1.5 C higher than in 2010.
In the sea around the nation’s easternmost islets of Dokdo, the average water temperature surged to 25.01 C last month, the highest since observation began there in 2009.
The institute explained that a large amount of solar radiation and the influx of warm currents and heat waves may have resulted in the record-high sea surface temperatures in the East Sea last month.
“Our marine environment and ecosystems have been threatened by the rapid rises in sea water temperatures, as seen in the outbreaks of marine heat waves, red tides and whitening phenomenon,” said an institute official, calling for efforts to more carefully observe marine subtropicalization and other changes in the sea environment.
(Yonhap)
