CLEARWATER, Fla. — If you are considering taking a trip out to Clearwater Beach to cool off from the sweltering Florida heat – think again.
The water temperature at Clearwater Beach is currently sitting at nearly 90 degrees, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But according to 10 Tampa Bay Chief Meteorologist Bobby Deskins, that’s actually on par with the yearly average.
Below is an image that shows the current water temperatures.
The image below shows how far above or below the current water temperatures are from the average temperature. Ocean water temperatures around Clearwater Beach are only two degrees above average, which the chief said is nothing to be too concerned about.
The chief said it’s the Florida Keys’ warm water temperatures that could be concerning.
Many scientists are worried about coral bleaching that could happen near the Keys, with temperatures pushing above the mid-90s. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection said coral bleaching happens when changes in their conditions stress corals and they "expel colorful algae living in their translucent tissues," which ends up showing their white skeleton.
"It's inevitable in Florida," The Florida Aquarium scientist Rachel Morgan said in part. "Bleaching has become fairly regular. There have been some significant bleaching events.
"It gets warm every summer. There is bleaching every summer and there are corals today, who have made it through those events."
Although a bleaching event doesn't mean certain death for the coral, Morgan said coral can only sustain for so long before eventually dying off due to lack of nutrients.
