• Boys cool off in the Mediterranean Sea in Beirut, Lebanon. AP
    Boys cool off in the Mediterranean Sea in Beirut, Lebanon. AP
  • The current change in marine temperatures 'is unlike anything we have seen in the past', says Dr John Burt, NYU Abu Dhabi. Reem Mohammed / The National
    The current change in marine temperatures 'is unlike anything we have seen in the past', says Dr John Burt, NYU Abu Dhabi. Reem Mohammed / The National
  • Dr Burt says marine heat waves are expected to increase in frequency and severity, affecting vulnerable ecosystems and organisms in the coming two decades. AFP
    Dr Burt says marine heat waves are expected to increase in frequency and severity, affecting vulnerable ecosystems and organisms in the coming two decades. AFP
  • Dr Burt says coral reefs 'are considered the ecosystem most susceptible to current climate change'. Getty Images
    Dr Burt says coral reefs 'are considered the ecosystem most susceptible to current climate change'. Getty Images
  • A parrotfish on a coral reef in Key West, Florida. Shallow waters off south Florida topped 37.8°C for several hours on July 24. AFP
    A parrotfish on a coral reef in Key West, Florida. Shallow waters off south Florida topped 37.8°C for several hours on July 24. AFP
  • Swimmers in the ocean off Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, Florida. When water temperatures get too high, some of the appeal of swimming is lost. AP
    Swimmers in the ocean off Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, Florida. When water temperatures get too high, some of the appeal of swimming is lost. AP

Climate

As global sea temperatures hit record levels, what are the implications?

Scientists warn that warmer oceans are less able to absorb carbon dioxide and can cause disruption to marine life

Daniel Bardsley
Daniel Bardsley

August 04, 2023

  • English
  • Arabic

Sea temperatures reached record levels this week in the latest indication of the large-scale impact of climate change.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service, EU's Earth observation programme, said that average global sea surface temperatures reached 20.96°C – well above normal for this time of year.

It comes shortly after Copernicus and others said that July was set to be the hottest month on record in terms of air temperature.

Here we look at the effects of ocean warming on everything from sea-level rises to coral reef bleaching.

What is happening with ocean temperatures?

Although only 0.01 °C above the previous record set in March 2016, the increase is particularly concerning because it has been set in the month of August.

Ocean temperatures typically peak around March, as was the case in 2016, which makes this week’s high especially anomalous.

There have been marine heatwaves across the globe recently, including off Florida, where sea surface temperatures reportedly climbed as high as 38.4°C in July. The Mediterranean has also seen temperature records broken.

Marine heatwaves are expected to increase in both frequency and severity, with resultant impacts to more vulnerable ecosystems and organisms
John Burt,
NYU Abu Dhabi

“We are seeing that there are marine heatwaves going on around the world,” said Bob Ward, of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, part of the London School of Economics.

“There are areas where the temperatures are several degrees higher than normal.”

One factor pushing up sea temperatures is that the world’s climate has entered an El Nino phase, when temperatures tend to be higher than in the opposite La Nina system, which involves cold waters being brought up from the depths of the Pacific.

However, this is not considered sufficient to account for the record temperatures. Heat from deep in the oceans could be coming up to the surface, leading to temperatures that are much higher than normal, scientists have suggested.

What effects does ocean warming have?

Water covers more than 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface and, according to figures published by Nasa, oceans have absorbed 90 per cent of the warming that has resulted from human-induced climate change.

As well as absorbing heat, the oceans also take in carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, and so act as a brake on climate change.

UN figures indicate that oceans have absorbed about a quarter of all CO2 emissions, but warmer water cannot hold as much, which could cause temperature increases to accelerate.

“The functioning of the oceans is critically important to how the planet warms, as is the absorption of carbon into the oceans,” said Asher Minns, executive director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia in the UK.

Heatwaves around the world – in pictures

  • An Iraqi man cool himself off in a spray of water during a sweltering hot day at the Al-Khilani square in central Baghdad, Iraq. EPA
    An Iraqi man cool himself off in a spray of water during a sweltering hot day at the Al-Khilani square in central Baghdad, Iraq. EPA
  • Children play on water jets at a public square on a very hot afternoon in Madrid, Spain. Getty Images
    Children play on water jets at a public square on a very hot afternoon in Madrid, Spain. Getty Images
  • A costumed spiderman drinks during a heat wave in New York. Bloomberg
    A costumed spiderman drinks during a heat wave in New York. Bloomberg
  • A pedestrian carries an umbrella during a heat wave in Miami, Florida, US. Bloomberg
    A pedestrian carries an umbrella during a heat wave in Miami, Florida, US. Bloomberg
  • A Palestinian, Mustafa Abdou, repairs fan in his shop amid a heatwave at Shati refugee camp in Gaza City. Reuters
    A Palestinian, Mustafa Abdou, repairs fan in his shop amid a heatwave at Shati refugee camp in Gaza City. Reuters
  • A man dives into a canal during a hot day in Larkana district of Sind province. AFP
    A man dives into a canal during a hot day in Larkana district of Sind province. AFP
  • A man cools himself with a fan while browsing his phone on a sweltering day in Beijing. AP
    A man cools himself with a fan while browsing his phone on a sweltering day in Beijing. AP
  • People drink coconut water at a market in Dubai to cope with the hot weather. AFP
    People drink coconut water at a market in Dubai to cope with the hot weather. AFP
  • A worker washes his face to cope with the hot weather in Dubai. AFP
    A worker washes his face to cope with the hot weather in Dubai. AFP
  • An Egyptian girl cools off in the water amid a heatwave, at a Red Sea resort in Hurghada Egypt. Reuters
    An Egyptian girl cools off in the water amid a heatwave, at a Red Sea resort in Hurghada Egypt. Reuters
  • Pedestrians hold umbrellas for protection from the sun during a heat wave in New York, US. Bloomberg
    Pedestrians hold umbrellas for protection from the sun during a heat wave in New York, US. Bloomberg
  • A homeless person holds an umbrella to block out the sun on a hot day in New York City. AFP
    A homeless person holds an umbrella to block out the sun on a hot day in New York City. AFP
  • Bottles of water being delivered on a hot summer day in Istanbul. AP
    Bottles of water being delivered on a hot summer day in Istanbul. AP
  • Diving into the Treska river near Skopje, as temperatures in North Macedonia soared. AFP
    Diving into the Treska river near Skopje, as temperatures in North Macedonia soared. AFP
  • A woman takes a photograph of the Acropolis in Athens in high temperatures. AFP
    A woman takes a photograph of the Acropolis in Athens in high temperatures. AFP
  • A woman shelters from the sun during a heatwave in Rome. Reuters
    A woman shelters from the sun during a heatwave in Rome. Reuters
  • Shelia Nunez, 40, cools her dog with ice while sitting under a shaded bus stop in Phoenix, Arizona. AFP
    Shelia Nunez, 40, cools her dog with ice while sitting under a shaded bus stop in Phoenix, Arizona. AFP
  • A lion eats an icy treat containing meat and ostrich eggs to cool down during a regional heatwave at the Safari Zoological Centre in Ramat Gan, Israel. Reuters
    A lion eats an icy treat containing meat and ostrich eggs to cool down during a regional heatwave at the Safari Zoological Centre in Ramat Gan, Israel. Reuters
  • Children play in a water fountain near the walls of Jerusalem's Old City. Reuters
    Children play in a water fountain near the walls of Jerusalem's Old City. Reuters
  • Traffic warden Rai Rogers works on his street corner under the hot sun in Las Vegas. AFP
    Traffic warden Rai Rogers works on his street corner under the hot sun in Las Vegas. AFP
  • A woman uses a fan amid an alert for a heatwave in Shanghai. Reuters
    A woman uses a fan amid an alert for a heatwave in Shanghai. Reuters
  • Andrea Washington pours water on herself in the Hungry Hill neighbourhood of Austin, Texas. Getty
    Andrea Washington pours water on herself in the Hungry Hill neighbourhood of Austin, Texas. Getty
  • A busy beach in Rabat, Morocco. EPA
    A busy beach in Rabat, Morocco. EPA
  • A person receives medical attention after collapsing in a shop in Phoenix, Arizona, in high heat. AFP
    A person receives medical attention after collapsing in a shop in Phoenix, Arizona, in high heat. AFP
  • An Iraqi dives into the Tigris to beat the heat in Baghdad. AP
    An Iraqi dives into the Tigris to beat the heat in Baghdad. AP
  • Youths play in a fountain at a park in the Syrian capital Damascus, as temperatures exceed 35°C. AFP
    Youths play in a fountain at a park in the Syrian capital Damascus, as temperatures exceed 35°C. AFP

Rising temperatures also cause oceans to expand, leading to sea-level increases, threatening coastal and island communities. The expansion of water has caused about one third of the sea level rises since 2004, according to Nasa data.

There are other factors linked to the warming of oceans that are causing sea levels to rise.

“It helps to erode and starts to melt the ice shelves around the big land ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica. The ice sheets, they’re what flow into oceans, leading to more sea level rises,” Mr Ward said.

Warmer waters in the polar regions help to melt sea ice. Mr Ward said the water off of Antarctica is currently abnormally warm, causing sea-ice levels in the region to decline.

Sea ice reflects between 50 per cent and 70 per cent of the sun’s energy, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Centre at the University of Colorado Boulder in the US, while the darker ocean reflects only 6 per cent. As a result, the loss of sea ice contributes to the warming of the climate.

Another effect of warming seas is that higher sea surface temperatures in hotter parts of the world can result in more tropical cyclones.

How are organisms affected by rising sea temperatures?

The current change in marine temperatures “is unlike anything we have seen in the past”, according to John Burt, an associate professor of biology at New York University Abu Dhabi. He added that this has created “unprecedented times” for marine organisms.

“Marine heatwaves are expected to increase in both frequency and severity, with resultant impacts to more vulnerable ecosystems and organisms in the coming two decades,” he said.

John Burt, an associate professor at NYU Abu Dhabi, studies coral reefs in the Arabian Gulf. Reem Mohammed / The National
John Burt, an associate professor at NYU Abu Dhabi, studies coral reefs in the Arabian Gulf. Reem Mohammed / The National

Some marine life is moving towards the poles, said Mr Ward, but not all organisms are moving together.

“That causes disruption to the ecosystem,” he said. “For instance, some fish are finding their foodstuff is less common because it’s moved away.”

Dr Burt studies coral reefs and he said that these “are considered the ecosystem most susceptible to current climate change”.

Coral lives in symbiosis with single-celled algae, called zooxanthellae, which Dr Burt said provides more than 90 per cent of its energy. During heatwaves, the coral expels the zooxanthellae and turns white, a process called bleaching.

“If the bleaching event lasts more than a few days to a week, colonies will typically start to die off,” Dr Burt said.

“Sadly, the UAE experienced several extreme bleaching events in recent years – 2017 and 2021 – and we have lost over 75 per cent of corals from many reefs across the UAE.

“My team also noted bleaching beginning last week, and it is now in full effect in Abu Dhabi waters, raising the spectre of another possible mass die off.”

Bleaching, even if not fatal, may increase disease among coral and lower reproductive output, making it harder for it to recover when a portion has died off.

“Obviously, a key mechanism driving all of these temperature changes is CO2, and therefore this adds even more urgency to efforts such as those being discussed at the upcoming Cop28 towards reductions in fossil fuel use,” Dr Burt said, referring to the UN climate change conference to be held in the UAE later this year.

“It's in the hands of our world's leaders to commit to meaningful CO2 reduction targets and to get our planet back in a state we'd be happy to hand over to our children.”

Classification of skills

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation. 

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000. 

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THE BIO

Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren

Favourite travel destination: Switzerland

Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers

Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum

Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

FFP EXPLAINED

What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.

What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.

What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.

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Secret Nation: The Hidden Armenians of Turkey
Avedis Hadjian, (IB Tauris)
 

Various Artists 
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
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Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

World record transfers

1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m

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Champions League last 16, first leg

Tottenham v RB Leipzig, Wednesday, midnight (UAE)

match info

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Gulbadin Naib (captain), Mohammad Shahzad (wicketkeeper), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

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Tips to keep your car cool
  • Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
  • Park in shaded or covered areas
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  • Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
  • Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
  • Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder

Transmission: 7-speed auto

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THE BIO

Ambition: To create awareness among young about people with disabilities and make the world a more inclusive place

Job Title: Human resources administrator, Expo 2020 Dubai

First jobs: Co-ordinator with Magrudy Enterprises; HR coordinator at Jumeirah Group

Entrepreneur: Started his own graphic design business

Favourite singer: Avril Lavigne

Favourite travel destination: Germany and Saudi Arabia

Family: Six sisters

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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Tamkeen's offering
  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
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Teams

Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq

Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi

Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag

Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC

Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC

Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan

Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes

Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals

Kamindu Mendis bio

Full name: Pasqual Handi Kamindu Dilanka Mendis

Born: September 30, 1998

Age: 20 years and 26 days

Nationality: Sri Lankan

Major teams Sri Lanka's Under 19 team

Batting style: Left-hander

Bowling style: Right-arm off-spin and slow left-arm orthodox (that's right!)

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Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

The biog

Born: High Wycombe, England

Favourite vehicle: One with solid axels

Favourite camping spot: Anywhere I can get to.

Favourite road trip: My first trip to Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan. The desert they have over there is different and the language made it a bit more challenging.

Favourite spot in the UAE: Al Dhafra. It’s unique, natural, inaccessible, unspoilt.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.

Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.

Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.

When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Director: Venkat Prabhu
Rating: 2/5

Reputation

Taylor Swift

(Big Machine Records)

Age 26

Born May 17, 1991

Height 1.80 metres

Birthplace Sydney, Australia

Residence Eastbourne, England

Plays Right-handed

WTA titles 3

Prize money US$5,761,870 (Dh21,162,343.75)

Wins / losses 312 / 181

ESSENTIALS

The flights 
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes. 
Where to stay 
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.

Updated: August 05, 2023, 4:01 AM
Climate change