When Hot Means Not

An extreme marine heatwave has hit the UK's North Sea. In one area, the sea temperature has risen by 4 degrees Centigrade. This may make the sea sound inviting to we landlubbers. The consequences for marine life, however, are potentially devastating (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/marine-heatwave-uk-sea-temperatures-increase-ocean-hvh7kvh2g). The amount of oxygen contained in seawater is strongly dependent on water temperature. Elevating temperature by 4 degrees, dramatically reduces oxygen content. Sessile (fixed) organisms would be likely to die. Organisms that can swim would still find it difficult to move to a less challenging environment in time. It's somewhat poetic that this heatwave is occurring in the North Sea, where there's still considerable debate about the advisability of exploiting new deposits of oil and gas. Burn more hydrocarbons and the seas are going to get even hotter. Bad news for the organisms that try to live there.