BOSTON, Mass. — September 1, 2013 — As fishermen around New England are the first to point out, this summer, much like the last, is in many ways abnormal. Ocean waters are warmer than ever. Fish are also less abundant, found in new and unexpected places and behaving in unusual ways.
With ocean temperatures on the rise and atmospheric carbon dioxide reaching levels above 400 parts per million for the first time in human history, climate change is no longer an intangible, far-off event. It is now causing a host of new problems for fishermen, scientists and managers.
Fishermen are reporting the changes they've witnessed, including catching species typically found farther south and at different times of the year. Fishermen in Maine report increasing numbers of black sea bass and longfin squid — species not traditionally seen in the Gulf of Maine — while fishermen in Rhode Island are catching warm-water species like cobia and mahi-mahi.
Scientific studies agree with these observations — the changing climate is affecting fish stocks in ways we can observe, but cannot yet fully comprehend.
Read the full opinion piece by Dr. Sarah Smith at the Portland Press Herald