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Copernicus Ocean State Report 6
KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR 2020
01.
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The Northern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea experienced heavy storms, including Storm Gloria, which impacted the Spanish Mediterranean coast, and Medicane Ianos, which impacted the Greek peninsula, leading to significant economic and environmental damages.
02.
Unusually high marine heatwaves severely impacted the Mediterranean Sea in 2020. In 2019/20 the unseasonal winter heatwaves and unusually high ocean heat content in the Baltic Sea caused the lowest recorded sea ice extent since 1720.
03.
In 2020, sea ice extent in the Arctic was, on average, the lowest ever observed by satellite, and 2021 remained one of the years with the lowest sea ice levels. Sea ice extent in the Antarctic, however, remained normal for winter and summer in 2020 and 2021.
04.
A new satellite-based indicator was developed in support of Europe’s SDG reporting, which helps to identify and map potential eutrophication*, a primary issue facing water quality in the European regional seas.
05.
New approaches for estimating sea level variability at hourly scales were used in 2020 to help forecast the form, timing, and duration of damaging storm surges in the Baltic Sea.
06.
Global sea surface temperature has increased by approximately 0.016°C per year. This has led to an average sea surface temperature increase of approximately 0.43°C since 1993, impacting marine ecosystems.
