March 29, 2022 — Scientists say the highest water temperatures ever in the Gulf of Maine were recorded last year.
The Gulf is one of the fastest-warming bodies of water on the planet, and fishermen are noticing signs of the change.
Data released by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute show that last year surface water temperatures in the Gulf were on average a half-degree higher than the previous record, with record highs recorded on 169 days — almost half the year.
The Gulf experienced what scientists now call a “marine heatwave” for the entire year.
“As unusually warm as 2021 was in a historical context, it’s likely to be one of the coolest years we’ll experience going forward, especially if we’re not able to reduce greenhouse gas emission globally,” says the institute’s David Reidmiller.
Reidmiller says the latest data punctuate a decades-long trend that shows no sign of abating.
“The warming trend is unequivocal in the Gulf of Maine. It’s been going on now for decades, and from a climatological sense we are assuredly in a new regime,” Reidmiller says.