 Constancy of line bundle degree in a family

For a line bundle $M$ on $C\times T$, with $C$ a smooth projective curve, this function is locally constant. Twist both $M$ and $M^{-1}$ by a large power of an ample line bundle on $C$. Near a chosen fiber their first sheaf cohomology groups vanish. The Riemann-Roch theorem and upper semicontinuity of their zeroth sheaf cohomology groups then bound the degree from above and below by the degree on that fiber. Connectedness of $T$ is necessary for a single constant across all fibers.