Occasionally, ocean surface temperatures can reach dangerous levels for swimmers. While residents continue to melt on land, going into the water to cool down is no longer an option.

However, most of the water surrounding the state isn’t yet uncomfortably warm. Several popular beaches are still in the mid-80s and safe for swimming.

This time last year, it took until mid-July for water temperatures in the south of Florida to hit 100 degrees.

Long Sound, Jacksonville University, Fort Myers, and Apalachicola have all hit the 90-degree mark, while Cape Canaveral, Lake Worth Pier, St. Augustine, Clearwater Beach, Venice, and Key West are all hovering in the high 80s.

They say that soaking in water, such as in a hot tub, at these temperatures can disregulate the body and cause impairment, heart attack and stroke. However, lower temperatures in the high 90s are also unsafe for kids, the elderly, and the immunocompromised.

A report from Livestrong on the effects of water temperature notes, “Warm water increases your body temperature, which also raises your sweat rate and quickens dehydration. Open-water swimming in warm climates can expose you to water temperatures that are too warm, which can cause muscle spasms and severe fatigue.”

Constant increases in ocean temperatures create an unsafe environment for people and wildlife to thrive. Warm waters also increase the risk of extreme weather events and antarctic ice melting.

Climatologists and meteorologists warn that coastal regions may become diluted with water, rain, and extreme storms as the temperature equilibrium remains off-tilt.

As more pollution and heat become trapped in the ozone layer, more light burns through to the surface of the Earth, raising temperatures on land and in water. The increase has decimated oceans as many types of fish and plant life can no longer survive.

Getting in the water to cool off is no longer a possibility as it might have unintended effects and cause heat stroke.

Plants, animals, and even human life can be put at risk when this dangerous bacteria starts to thrive in warm waters. As well, many people may still fish and dig for clams in affected areas and ingest unsafe food.

Water being this hot will destroy coral reefs and kill wildlife. Hopefully, temperatures can come down before permanent damage is done.

The lack of wind is a shocking factor in the devastating effects of climate change.

Without these winds, the temperatures are rising well into the danger zone for humans and aquamarine life.

According to Palm Beach Post, this blocked pattern has been linked to climate change by multiple climate scientists and is raising the water temperature.

Now, the cooler climate pattern’s counterpart, El Nino, has arrived to bring warmer climate variation to the Pacific Ocean. A similar pattern is also moving through the Atlantic, setting the stage for extreme ocean temperatures.

This heatwave can persist for weeks, months, or even years with devastating consequences on marine ecosystems, including mass mortality rates for marine animals and plants.

An elevated marine heatwave risk will remain in effect for nearly 35% of the global ocean until the end of the year.

The water surrounding Florida is home to a shallow, living coral reef formation that stretches from Dry Tortugas National Park to the St. Lucie Inlet., and is the only living coral barrier reef in the US and the third largest in the world. Unfortunately, it is at risk.

The high ocean temperatures place these corals at severe risk of coral bleaching. When the water is too warm, coral swill expels the algae living in their tissues, causing the coral to turn completely white.

This mutualistic relationship creates efficient nutrient recycling in nutrient-poor waters, like those off the coast of Florida.

If the coral does not starve to death, then other factors put the coral reef and the organisms that live in them, at risk.

“The corals are dying. And it is because of these extreme temperatures that they’re experiencing,” says Ilsa Kuffner, a research marine biologist at the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center.

“People would not travel to enjoy recreational activities, such as snorkeling, fishing, and diving. Cultural and aesthetic experiences would be lost,” Zangroniz said. “Commercial and recreational fishing would go down, impacting both job opportunities as well as food sources.”