Fish swim around a coral reef in Key West, Florida on July 14, 2023.
A buoy in Manatee Bay, Florida, showed an ocean temperature reading of over 101 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday night, the latest sign of record heat in the coastal waters.
The existing record for the hottest ocean surface temperature is 99.7, which was reached in Kuwait Bay in the Persian Gulf.
"These buoys that are inside Florida Bay — so that's to the north of the Florida Keys and to the South Florida peninsula — they're all in very shallow, murky, dark water," Berardelli told CNBC.
"Because it's murky, and because it's contaminated with sediment, the water temperatures are reflective of the fact that darker surfaces absorb more heat."
Persons:
Jeff Berardelli, Berardelli
Organizations:
Data, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Florida WFLA, Florida, CNBC
Locations:
Key West , Florida, Martin County , Florida, Manatee Bay , Florida, Kuwait Bay, Persian, Florida, South Florida