Final answer:
Sea surface temperature increases at intervals of three to seven years in the Galápagos Islands are known as El Niño events, which can lead to species extinction and imperil the recovery of coral reefs due to rapid climate changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the Galápagos Islands, increases in sea surface temperatures that occur at intervals of three to seven years are referred to as El Niño events. These periods can have drastic effects on marine life and ecosystems. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has highlighted that global warming could intensify these events, with a general increase in global mean temperature expected over the next century potentially leading to even more extreme weather conditions. Additionally, the rise in temperatures is significant to marine biomes because it can cause species to become extinct before they have the chance to evolve and adapt to the new conditions. As such, many of the world's coral reefs may not be able to recover if the balance is tipped too far by the rapid and increasing ocean temperatures.