Ocean Temperatures | NESDIS | National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service
Source: https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/our-environment/oceans-coasts/ocean-temperatures
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:10
Ocean Temperatures | NESDIS | National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service
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Ocean Temperatures
Ocean temperatures include collecting values for its surface, its depths, as well as using software to model its fluctuations.
Rising amounts of greenhouse gases are preventing heat from Earth’s surface from escaping into space. Most of the excess heat that doesn’t escape Earth’s atmosphere is passed back to the ocean. As a result, upper ocean heat content has increased significantly over the past few decades, a phenomenon that is continually being monitored by our satellites.
More than 80% of our oceans is unmapped, unobserved and unexplored. The vast body of water that covers over 70% of our planet is subdivided into geographically distinct regions, the boundaries of which have changed over time due to geopolitical or scientific reasons. Read below to see the areas of research that NOAA Satellites currently facilitates on this important issue.
NOAA creates a daily Optimum Interpolation Sea Surface Temperature (or daily OISST), an analysis constructed by combining observations from different platforms (satellites, ships, buoys, and Argo floats) on a regular global grid. Interpolation of the data then fills in gaps.
Information from NOAA’s Satellite Fleet Helps Point to How Warming Ocean Temperatures Impact Marine Food Web and Whale Distribution
NOAA's satellites utilize microwave and infrared radiometers to measure sea surface temperatures, giving researchers valuable clues about the ocean.
Learn More
Information from NOAA’s Satellite Fleet Helps Point to How Warming Ocean Temperatures Impact Marine Food Web and Whale Distribution
Why Are Some Coral Reefs Dying? NOAA Satellites & NOAA’s Coral Program Help Conserve These Vulnerable Habitats
The ocean is home to critical coral reef ecosystems that provide a home to millions of plant, fish and marine animals.
Learn More
Why Are Some Coral Reefs Dying? NOAA Satellites & NOAA’s Coral Program Help Conserve These Vulnerable Habitats
NOAA Satellites Observe La Niña Conditions
As announced by the NOAA Climate Prediction Center, La Niña conditions were observed during October, with negative sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in early November stretching across most of the eastern and central equatorial Pacific Ocean.
Learn More
NOAA Satellites Observe La Niña Conditions
Articles on Ocean and Coasts
image
Feature Story
The Critical Role of LEO Observations in Alaska
NOAA’s three operational Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) satellites collectively pass over…
March 2, 2026
image
Feature Story
NOAA Satellites Assist Scientists Studying Mass Bleaching Event of Florida Corals
A NOAA-led study recently published in Science confirmed that a record marine heatwave in 2023…
December 3, 2025
image
Feature Story
From Space to Sea: NOAA Satellites Help Safeguard Alaska’s Fisheries
LEO satellites provide essential ocean color data that supports sustainable fisheries and protects…
July 31, 2025
View More
Oceans & Coasts
Skip to main content
Official websites use .gov
A
.gov
website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A
lock
(
) or
https://
means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Ocean Temperatures
Ocean temperatures include collecting values for its surface, its depths, as well as using software to model its fluctuations.
Rising amounts of greenhouse gases are preventing heat from Earth’s surface from escaping into space. Most of the excess heat that doesn’t escape Earth’s atmosphere is passed back to the ocean. As a result, upper ocean heat content has increased significantly over the past few decades, a phenomenon that is continually being monitored by our satellites.
More than 80% of our oceans is unmapped, unobserved and unexplored. The vast body of water that covers over 70% of our planet is subdivided into geographically distinct regions, the boundaries of which have changed over time due to geopolitical or scientific reasons. Read below to see the areas of research that NOAA Satellites currently facilitates on this important issue.
NOAA creates a daily Optimum Interpolation Sea Surface Temperature (or daily OISST), an analysis constructed by combining observations from different platforms (satellites, ships, buoys, and Argo floats) on a regular global grid. Interpolation of the data then fills in gaps.
Information from NOAA’s Satellite Fleet Helps Point to How Warming Ocean Temperatures Impact Marine Food Web and Whale Distribution
NOAA's satellites utilize microwave and infrared radiometers to measure sea surface temperatures, giving researchers valuable clues about the ocean.
Learn More
Information from NOAA’s Satellite Fleet Helps Point to How Warming Ocean Temperatures Impact Marine Food Web and Whale Distribution
Why Are Some Coral Reefs Dying? NOAA Satellites & NOAA’s Coral Program Help Conserve These Vulnerable Habitats
The ocean is home to critical coral reef ecosystems that provide a home to millions of plant, fish and marine animals.
Learn More
Why Are Some Coral Reefs Dying? NOAA Satellites & NOAA’s Coral Program Help Conserve These Vulnerable Habitats
NOAA Satellites Observe La Niña Conditions
As announced by the NOAA Climate Prediction Center, La Niña conditions were observed during October, with negative sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in early November stretching across most of the eastern and central equatorial Pacific Ocean.
Learn More
NOAA Satellites Observe La Niña Conditions
Articles on Ocean and Coasts
image
Feature Story
The Critical Role of LEO Observations in Alaska
NOAA’s three operational Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) satellites collectively pass over…
March 2, 2026
image
Feature Story
NOAA Satellites Assist Scientists Studying Mass Bleaching Event of Florida Corals
A NOAA-led study recently published in Science confirmed that a record marine heatwave in 2023…
December 3, 2025
image
Feature Story
From Space to Sea: NOAA Satellites Help Safeguard Alaska’s Fisheries
LEO satellites provide essential ocean color data that supports sustainable fisheries and protects…
July 31, 2025
View More
Oceans & Coasts