"The Sea That Got Hotter"…Last Year’s Sea Area Water Temperature Hits Record High

National Institute of Fisheries Science Announces Analysis Results of Surface Water Temperature Observed by Artificial Satellite

The National Institute of Fisheries Science announced on the 1st that the annual average sea surface temperature of Korea was the highest last year since it began observing the sea surface temperature using satellites in 1990.

According to the analysis of sea surface temperatures in Korean waters observed by satellites conducted by the National Institute of Fisheries Science, the annual average sea surface temperature in 2023 recorded the highest at 19.8℃. In particular, June, September, and November recorded the highest temperatures. This is 0.6℃ higher than the average temperature over the past 20 years (2001?2020).

Since 1990, the National Institute of Fisheries Science has been receiving and providing daily satellite sea surface temperature information to understand the impact of climate change on the ocean and changes in fishing ground environments.

Sea Scenery

The unusually high temperatures are attributed to the rise in air temperature caused by the expansion of the North Pacific High. Additionally, the increase in the transport volume of the Tsushima Warm Current, which supplies heat from low latitudes to Korean waters, brought warm seawater from the western Pacific, which also influenced the temperature rise. In particular, the East Sea, which was mainly affected, showed a more distinct increase in sea surface temperature compared to the West Sea or South Sea.

The record-high temperatures are analyzed as a global phenomenon. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) climate report stated, “Since the beginning of modern meteorological observations, last year recorded the highest global average sea surface temperature,” and “especially from April to December, records were continuously broken.”

Choi Yong-seok, Director of the National Institute of Fisheries Science, said, “Last year, our seas showed record-high temperatures, confirming that recent marine warming is progressing rapidly,” and added, “To minimize damage to fisheries caused by climate change and improve adaptation capabilities, we will do our best to advance various marine monitoring, forecasting, and evaluation technologies as well as develop future fisheries technologies to respond to marine warming.”