Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) President Kim Woong-seo announced that the average sea surface water temperature of the East Sea in July this year recorded 22.2°C, the highest temperature recorded in the past 40 years and 2.7°C higher than the average normal year temperature (from 1991 to 2020). Considering that the global sea surface water temperature rose by 0.3°C during the same period, the rate of increase in water temperature in the East Sea was relatively high.

The average sea surface water temperature in July in the East Sea was 18.9°C in the 1980s and 19.8°C in the 2010s, showing an increase of about 0.9°C over the past 30 years. In July of this year, the water temperature rose sharply, jumping to 1.5℃ higher than the temperature recorded in 2010, which was the highest water temperature previously recorded. In addition, the Dokdo Research Center of KIOST confirmed that the average water temperature in July this year was the highest since 2009, when its observations began.

At the 54th General Assembly (July 26 to August 6), the IPCC approved the sixth evaluation report, which indicates that the global temperature is likely to rise by 1.5°C during the period from 2021 to 2040 compared to pre-industrial times (1850 to 1900). According to the report, the global average water temperature is increasing at an accelerated rate, with the worst-case scenario (SSP5-8.5) showing that the water temperature is expected to rise by about 2.89 (2.01 to 4.07) °C during the period from 2081 to 2100 compared to the period from 1995 to 2014. Considering that the sea surface water temperature in the East Sea is rising faster than the global average and red tides have recently occurred around Ulleungdo, the Korean government needs to continuously monitor and prepare for changes in the marine environment around Korea.
 * IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)

This fact was revealed after the KIOST Ocean Climate Prediction Center analyzed the daily average sea surface water temperature data provided by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The center provides data on the analysis of marine climate indicators every month, along with a pilot forecast of seasonal marine climate. Those interested in marine climate can check out the center's website (http://www.ocpc.kr).

KIOST President Kim Woong-seo said, “The marine environment and ecosystem are being threatened by marine heatwaves, red tides, and albinism, which will have a great impact on our daily life.” He also added, “We will continue responding to climate change by carefully observing the status of the sea and analyzing and predicting related trends and changes.”