Check Ocean & Coastal Water Temperatures

START WITH THE RIGHT MEASUREMENT

Three temperature sources can answer different questions

• Coastal station: a sensor at a pier, harbor or fixed coastal installation. This is usually the best choice when you want a measured temperature near shore.
• Buoy water temperature: a nearshore or offshore observation. Use the buoy name and location rather than treating it as the exact temperature at a beach.
• Satellite sea-surface temperature: a mapped regional view. It is useful for patterns and broad ocean conditions, but it is not the same thing as a thermometer at one location.

UNITED STATES

Open a station that shows the current reading

• Use a named coastal station when you want a fixed pier, harbor or bay measurement.
• Use a named NDBC buoy when you want a nearshore or offshore measurement.
• The direct links in Official Resources below open the station itself; broader maps remain available only for finding another location.

REGIONAL & GLOBAL VIEW

Sea-surface temperature and marine heatwaves

NOAA CoastWatch provides satellite sea-surface temperature layers for regional and global viewing. NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory separately tracks marine heatwaves—periods when ocean temperatures are unusually warm compared with the local seasonal baseline.

OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

Government observation networks

• Canada: Environment and Climate Change Canada marine buoys report hourly marine observations, including water temperature when the sensor is available.
• New South Wales: the NSW Ocean Wave Data Collection Program provides offshore wave-buoy data including sea temperature at seven long-term sites.
• OMU adds other countries only when a current official network provides a dependable public temperature source.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Before opening the source