NOAA - From Gulf Of Maine To Hatteras, Ocean Temps Highest In 150 Years; 3F Over 30-Yr Averages
LEWES — A recent study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center showed sea surface temperatures in the northeast shelf — which ranges from the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras, N.C. — for 2012 were the highest in 150 years.
According to the study, sea surface temperature for the shelf reached a record high 57.2 degrees in 2012. The average figure for the last three decades has been 54.3 degrees.
Dr. Jon Hare, a scientist in the NEFSC’s Oceanography Branch, said it’s too early to tell why that’s exactly the case, but there are some ideas on the table.
They include a cold current that comes from the north was warmer than usual; a warm year in the atmosphere may have contributed to a warmer ocean; and the gulf stream that runs off shore was closer to the shore than in previous years. “It’s not one or the other,” he said. “Any or all three could have been acting together. It’s an active area of research right now.”
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