Coral details a warming, changing ocean (IMAGE) Boston College Caption A diver collects a coral sample, illustrative of the process used by researchers in climate studies. One such sample was analyzed to reveal that during the past century, the western boundary current in the southern Pacific Ocean has intensified with global warming, a team of researchers reported recently in Nature Geoscience. The current plays a pivotal role in influencing weather patterns, including phenomena such as El Nino, which, having officially arrived in June 2023, may potentially set a new record for global average temperature. Credit Xingchen (Tony) Wang Usage Restrictions Credit must be given to the creator. Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted. No derivatives or adaptations of the work are permitted. License CC BY-NC-ND Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.