ocean temperatures

Biologists saw humpback whales that usually migrate from Antarctica to the equator to calve are now also continuing north beyond the equator, as far as Costa Rica -- a behavior never seen before. The increasingly long journeys, a result of climate change, are taking a toll on the animals' health, scientists say.

More than 300 whales have been found washed up in a remote inlet in Patagonia in southern Chile in one of the largest die-offs on record, researchers said Tuesday.

If the trend continues, there could be many consequences, including rising seas for the U.S. East Coast and, possibly, a difference in temperature overall in the North Atlantic and Europe.

The planet's surface temperature reached its hottest point in 135 years, international researchers said Thursday. In Latin America, Mexico had its warmest year on record, while Argentina and Uruguay each had their second warmest year on record.