WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- A study by the U.S. Geological Survey finds late-summer water temperatures near the Florida Keys are at levels seldom seen more than 100 years ago.
USGS analysis finds water temperatures from July to September in the region in recent decades were about 2 degrees Fahrenheit warmer when compared to a century earlier.
Ilsa Kuffner, lead author for the USGS report, said water temperatures were on average about 84 degrees Fahrenheit during the late summer months in the late 1800s, but in the last twenty years or so, the average was nearly two degrees warmer.
"When corals are exposed to water temperatures above 84 F they grow more slowly and, during extended exposure periods, can stop growing altogether or die," the USGS marine biologist said.
The study comes on the heels of two reports warning of the impact of global climate change.
A report this week from the World Meteorological Organization finds the warming effect of the atmospheric accumulation of greenhouse gases is increasing in part because of the continued use of fossil fuels.
A study from the National Audubon Society suggests many North American bird species may disappear because of climate change.
The USGS study was published in the journal Estuaries and Coasts.
