Sea Surface Temperature (SST) is the water temperature close to the ocean's surface. The "surface" can range from 1 millimeter to 20 meters below the sea level. SST provides fundamental information about our global climate system and how it is changing.
Rising sea temperature leads to a reduction in the amount of oxygen dissolved in the ocean and sea level rise, which causes negative effects for marine species and ecosystems. Additionally, this harms fundamental benefits that humans get from the ocean.
Zoom to an area of interest to visualize Sea Surface Temperature (SST).
Click the "Play" button on the Time Slider to visualize the change in SST from March 31, 2008 to present.
Alternatively, click and drag the marker on the slider to see a specific date within the time range.