“Our Ocean is Running A Fever”

According to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Monitoring Service, world ocean temperatures hit a record high for July this year. The average ocean temperature for July 2026 was 20.96 degrees Celsius or 69.7 degrees Fahrenheit,.58 degrees Celsius or 1.04 degrees Fahrenheit above average. Dr. Fatima Candace Vahlsing, Ocean Conservancy’s Vice President for Climate, PhD in Environmental Health Sciences, and former White House Climate Official, released the following statement:

“Our ocean is running a fever. In humans, one degree can be the difference between normal and a fever. In the ocean it is no different, and animals and wildlife are suffering.

“This is truly heartbreaking, but there is still hope. If we needed another reason to run, not walk, toward clean energy, this is it. Supercharging investments in clean ocean energy can slow the temperature rise and give the ocean a real chance to recover.”

Ocean Conservancy’s Vice President of Conservation Chris Dorsett, who specializes in marine fisheries and environmental law, released the following statement:

“In just the past few weeks, we’ve already seen evidence of species die-offs linked to heat waves. But the impacts are chronic. Increasing ocean temperatures are causing marine life to find different homes, disrupting entire food webs. For local fishermen that means fish are no longer where generations of their industry were built around finding them. Not to mention the disastrous effects on species that cannot move such as coral.”

ABOUT OCEAN CONSERVANCY

For more than 50 years, Ocean Conservancy has delivered effective, evidence-based solutions for the ocean and all who depend on it. Today, we continue to unite science, people and policy to protect our ocean from the greatest challenges it faces: climate change, plastic pollution and biodiversity loss. We are a 501(C)3 headquartered in Washington, D.C. that inspires a worldwide network of partners, advocates and supporters through our comprehensive and clear-eyed approach to ocean conservation. Together, we are securing a healthy ocean and a thriving planet, forever and for everyone. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on LinkedIn,Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky or Instagram.