Sea surface temperature (SST) can range from 28°F near the North and South poles to more than 86°F in the tropics. SST measurements provide details on ocean processes and dynamics, and can indicate the location of ocean features including fronts and eddies as well as highlight coastal upwelling and exchanges between the coastal shelf and open ocean. Sea temperature also affects weather and climate systems, as warm ocean waters can intensify tropical storm, hurricane, and typhoons, and influences the El Niño-La Niña cycle that shapes temperature and precipitation patterns across the Pacific. It's also important for marine life, as abnormally high temperatures can cause algal blooms, fish kills, or coral bleaching. 

SST can be measured by satellite instrument observations, buoys, ocean gliders, drifters, mooring, ships or from the shoreline. Depending on the method, temperature measurements range in depth from 10 microns up to approximately 15 feet. For example,  NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) detects infrared signals from the ocean to keep track of sea surface temperature. 

NASA’s data archives house current and historical measurements from virtually all of these methods, many in analysis-ready formats and available in the cloud. Data like these assist researchers in understanding long-term cycles in ocean circulation, climate, and weather patterns. It can also help illuminate the ways marine environments may change in the years to come, as ocean and global temperatures  rise and put stress on organisms adapted to narrow temperature ranges.