World’s seas heated by a record 23 zettajoules last year

The injection of thermal energy, 40 times that used by humanity in total, comes amid an increasing rise in sea levels and continuing acidification

A record-breaking 23 zettajoules of heat was sunk into the world’s seas last year, leaving ocean waters hotter, higher and less hospitable, a report has found.

The explosive addition of thermal energy, which was almost 40 times greater than all the energy humanity used that year, comes amid far-reaching changes to the deep water bodies fundamental to life on Earth.