Are Florida ocean waters really 100 degrees? Not quite. We explain

MANATEE BAY, Fla. – There are a number of factors that are playing into Florida’s extreme water temperatures and while these statistics are certainly a reason to give pause, Local 10 Hurricane Specialist and Storm Surge Expert Michael Lowry says there are some things to keep in mind.

“I’ve been investigating this over the past several weeks,” says Lowry, “as near triple-digit water temperatures struck me as suspiciously high, even with the record Gulf warmth.”

Headlines such as “Waters temperatures hit ‘hot tub’ levels in Florida Keys,” “Water temperatures off Florida soar over 100 degrees, stunning experts!” were the topic of conversation from Miami to Milwaukee.

But are the ocean temperatures really over 100 degrees?

The temperatures were obtained from a buoy at Manatee Bay just north of the Florida Keys where the 101.1 F was recorded.

Keep in mind, these are waters in the Everglades, not ocean waters near the beach, Lowry explains.

But the buoy reports did seem to be making waves.

Being a scientist himself, Lowry wanted to dig into the historical data for a number of the buoy stations that were recording the high temperatures. What he found was that the stations that record the numbers are in “very shallow water” surrounded by properties that could skew the readings very high.

Lowry explains that mud flats, mangroves, and other submerged aquatic vegetation more readily absorb the sunlight, which could account for the very high readings.

He reached out to colleagues at NOAA’s National Ocean Service and the National Data Buoy Center. “They agreed the numbers seemed high, especially compared to their nearby sensors which were reading 92-94°F,” says Lowry.

Lowry created a graphic using the data he received from Everglades National Park South Florida Natural Resources Center (SFNRC), which maintains the network of stations.

“Amazingly,” he wrote on Twitter, the water temperature at Manatee Bay, FL on Monday, while historically high, may not be a record for the station. Back in August 2017, it hit 102°F according to Everglades National Park South Florida Natural Resources Center (SFNRC) . . .”

He pointed out that this isn’t a reason to minimize the records we’re seeing but it’s important that we “put the triple digit numbers into context. Yes, it’s still really hot relative to the record books.”

The statistics do not lessen or diminish that the high water temperatures in the Gulf and around South Florida are harming reefs and creating other ecological distress, but a way to provide context to the stunning reports of Florida’s waters reaching over 100 degrees F.

For example, according to the tides and currents readings from NOAA, the water temperature at Virginia Key at 11:18 a.m. Friday was 87.1 degrees F.

No doubt, it will get hotter as the day goes on.