Florida coastal areas with biggest summer water temp increases

A  new report from Captain Experiences, an online platform that helps people find and book fishing and hunting trips, looking at summer water temperature changes across the U.S.—including coastal areas in Florida.

Recent years have brought unusually high temperatures to the world’s waters, and with them, major impacts on marine life and coastal communities. However, since early 2023, this trend has significantly intensified, with each day for more than a year setting a new record high.

The effects have created eye-popping weather and climate events. In early 2023, waters off the coast of South Florida reached more than 100 degrees—approximately the temperature of the water in a hot tub. Coral reefs have begun to experience bleaching at levels previously thought impossible. And Hurricanes Lee and Otis last year became some of the fastest-intensifying storms in recorded history on their way to Category 5 strength. Meanwhile, the 2024 hurricane season is projected to be one of the most active on record.

While the pace of change is alarming, the effects of these trends are not evenly distributed geographically. Researchers calculated the average summer water temperature change from 2013 to 2023 across each coastal metropolitan and micropolitan area, then ranked locations accordingly.

Here is the complete data breakout for coastal areas in Florida:

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Here is a link to the complete results of the analysis, with data on over 70 coastal areas.