The average daily temperature of the ocean surface around the world broke the 2023 record in March, reaching 21.2C (70.16F), "the highest temperature ever recorded," Anadolu Agency reports.

According to data from the Climate Reanalyzer at the University of Maine in the northeastern US and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), global warming has led to an increase in ocean surface temperatures.

According to the data, while the highest ocean temperature in 2023 was measured in August at 21.1C (69.98F), the ocean surface temperature record was broken in March this year with 21.2C (70.16F).

NOAA marine scientist Gregory C. Johnson told CNN that the average global ocean temperature measured in 2023 was 0.25C (32.45F) higher than in 2022, equivalent to 20 years of warming in one year.

Johnson said that as greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere increases, they expect these record temperatures to continue.