WARMER OCEANS

Surface temperatures rise

08-17-2009 | MCCLATCHY

Panama Star WASHINGTON. Ocean surface temperatures around the world were the warmest on record for the month of June, according to federal scientists, though they caution that one month doesn't necessarily imply global warming.

The warmer temperatures do confirm that an ocean phenomenon known as El Nino is building in the Pacific Ocean. Environmentalists and fishermen are wary of what it may mean.

"The high ocean temperatures can threaten coral reefs, provide more energy to hurricanes, cause thermal expansion, which would raise sea level and inundate coasts, force the relocation of some aquatic species and thus impact fisheries," said Ahira Sanchez-Lugo , a NOAA climate scientist.

So far, the year has been among the warmest on record for ocean temperatures, ranking sixth based on January through June. The June temperature averaged 62.56 degrees Fahrenheit; the 20th century average was 61.5 degrees. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been keeping the records since 1880.

The hottest spots were the north Pacific south of Alaska , along the US West Coast and the Atlantic Ocean off New England. Overall, the Pacific was the warmest.

Though some climatologists dismiss the June heat as an anomaly, others say it's part of a traditional El Nino pattern.