UV radiation vector diagram. Process of Earth atmosphere absorbtion of ultraviolet UVA UVB and UVC lights from sun.

A record marine heat wave stretching along the California coast is loading the Pacific with extra energy. The kind of energy that doesn't just sit there, but eventually shows up as stronger storms, disrupted ecosystems, and a cascade of effects already hitting marine life.

The Pacific Ocean is baking for thousands of miles, from about San Francisco all the way to Guatemala, according to recent sea surface temperature data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In this data set, a massive splotch of dark maroon concentrated from California's Central Coast into Mexico — and also far west offshore — depicts many spots with temperatures ranking in the highest percentiles.

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Smack in the middle of this unprecedented marine heat, scientists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego maintain one of the most robust data sets for the sea .…