Marine heatwave hits Pacific, raising fears of a new hot 'blob'

"The ocean off the western coast of No. America is 5 degrees hotter than usual after warming at an unusually rapid rate, according to Noaa . Marine heatwaves are defined as oceanic events in which the surface temperature of the water is warmer than 90% of past measurements for at least five days in a row. The current heatwave is the second-largest since scientists started tracking the phenomenon in 1981, Noaa reported on Friday.If the abnormal patch does not dissipate soon, it could become as destructive as the so-called “blob” of warm water in the same area that, in 2014-2016, created toxic algae blooms, killed sea lions and endangered whales by forcing them to forage closer to shore."