Ocean surface temperatures have reached an average of just over 21°C, approaching record highs, according to provisional data from the European Copernicus program released on March 31. This figure represents a significant increase, nearly 0.5°C above the 1993-2022 average, as confirmed by preliminary estimates from the University of Maine using NOAA data, which placed the average at 21.12°C on March 31, 2025, only slightly below the 2024 record. Oceanographers note these exceptionally high global temperatures are within hundredths of a degree of previous records, with some regions like the Gulf of Mexico and tropical oceans experiencing even more pronounced overheating, with anomalies exceeding +1.5°C in some areas.