Burning Seas – The Poetry of Science

Under tide-skins
stretched thin,
a slow heat hums –
its salt-fingers
pressing against
what once held firm.
The ocean,
a story unwinding,
carrying iron-whispers
from ancient cores,
its weight drawn skyward
by fires unseen.
Edge after edge,
stone-cloaks dissolve,
their silence stitched
into depths where
fragile lanterns gather
and fade.
In the water’s grasp,
the air remains –
a question left
unanswered.

This poem is inspired by recent research, which has found that sea surface temperatures and deeper water temperatures reached a new record high in 2024.

Rising ocean temperatures are a significant indicator of the planet’s ongoing warming, driven by increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. In 2024, global sea surface temperatures and the heat stored in the upper layers of the ocean reached unprecedented levels, building on a concerning trend observed in recent years. The warming of the oceans has far-reaching implications – from intensifying extreme weather events to disrupting marine ecosystems and threatening communities that depend on them.

This study examines the record-breaking ocean temperatures of 2024, revealing that the heat content in the upper 2,000 metres of the oceans increased significantly compared to 2023. Key regions, including the Indian Ocean, North Atlantic, and Southern Ocean, experienced their highest heat levels ever recorded. The research found that global sea surface temperatures also remained at record highs for much of the year, averaging 0.61°C above the 1981–2010 baseline. These findings are vital as they underscore the unrelenting trend of global heating, highlighting the urgency of addressing the root causes of climate change to mitigate its widespread and interconnected impacts.