PORTLAND, Maine (AP) A major body of water off New England is in the midst of its third-warmest year on record, resulting in consequences for vulnerable marine life.
The warming of the Gulf of Maine has been much documented in recent years, as the body of water is warming faster than most of the world’s oceans. The Portland Press Herald reports surface temperatures in 2018 are running nearly 3 degrees Fahrenheit above normal.
Gulf of Maine Research Institute chief scientific officer Andrew Pershing says that level of warming was only exceeded in 2012 and 2016 during the 37 years that satellite records have been collected.
The warming of the gulf could further imperil North Atlantic right whales, which are down to only about 440 individuals. It’s also bad news for puffin colonies.
