Cold shocks in a warming ocean affect large marine animals

Cold shocks in a warming ocean affect large marine animals

In March 2021, the carcasses of at least 260 marine organisms from 81 species, including large animals called megafauna, washed ashore in South Africa. Scientists questioned whether this event was the result of an extreme temperature drop that can happen when deep, cold water rises to the surface along coastlines. Scientists refer to these rapid cooling events as coastal upwelling.  Climate change is making oceans warmer, but it’s also making co…