Climate change is causing record sea temperatures in Europe. Researchers warn of what may follow.

The marine waters of Europe have not escaped the extreme heat that many countries have faced this summer.

Last month, the average temperature in the Mediterranean Sea was 27 degrees Celsius - the highest recorded value for a July month - while a buoy located off the island of Mallorca indicated 33 °C at the beginning of August.

"This phenomenon has the potential to completely reshape the ecosystems that coastal communities depend on for food and income, as well as generate extreme and harmful weather phenomena on land," said Claire Bergin, a climatologist at Maynooth University in Ireland and co-author of the study.