I agree with our local weatherman/conservative climate blogger that the recently measured NOAA Manatee Bay buoy ocean water temperature reading of 101.1 degrees had all the markings of an outlier.
However, just as it would be wrong to make a case for human-caused global warming based on the measure of a single recorded temperature on a NOAA buoy in five feet of water in Manatee Bay, it would be equally wrong to use that single measure as a basis to dismiss the entire science of human-caused climate change.
It is important to note that, on the same day as the 101.1 reading, 11 other NOAA temperature stations near the Manatee Key reported sea surface temperatures of more than 96 degrees. That includes buoys that reached 99.3 degrees and 98.4 degrees. These hot spots appeared to be more of a trend than as outliers.
Since the NOAA (the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration) was referenced, here are some recent findings from that body with reference to ocean heating:
In the week of the 101.1 degree reading, water temperatures throughout the Gulf of Mexico and in the Caribbean Sea had been approximately 1.8-5.4˚F (1-3˚C) warmer than normal. Temperatures around Southern Florida are the warmest on record (going back to 1981).
The National Weather Service’s National Data Buoy Center collects and disseminates real-time quality-controlled marine observations using 1,300 weather observing stations. Global ocean surface temperatures are also monitored daily using blended satellite measurements.
— Mark S. Gailey, Chico
