2017 Was Hottest Year on Record for World's Oceans: Report

2017 was the hottest year on record for the world's oceans, according to a new report published by a peer-reviewed journal on Friday. 

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Upon investigation, researchers noted that in 2017, a large amount of heat was deposited in the Atlantic Ocean. They calculated that the rise in heat gave way to a nearly 2 mm rise in sea levels.

"The consequences of this year-after-year warming have real impacts on humans," said thermal sciences professor John Abraham, according to Common Dreams. "The fact that 2017 was the oceans' hottest year doesn't prove humans are warming the planet."

The study, led by Chinese researchers, has re-ignited concerns over the man-made crises. 

He acknowledged that small temperature fluctuations from year to year are normal, due to natural events like the Pacific Ocean's El Niño/La Niña cycle. "But, the long-term upward trend that extends back many decades does prove global warming," he added.

"The human greenhouse gas footprint continues to impact the Earth system," the Chinese researchers noted in their research. The consequences of this include rise in sea levels, along with "declining ocean oxygen, bleaching of coral reefs, and melting sea ice and ice shelves."

"Fortunately, we know why the oceans are warming (because of human greenhouse gases), and we can do something about it," he concluded. "We can take action to reduce the heating of our planet by using energy more wisely and increasing the use of clean and renewable energy (like wind and solar power)."

Experts have warned about the urgency of "using energy more wisely and increasing the use of clean and renewable energy" in order to "reduce the heating of our planet."