Warming Gulf of Maine imperils lobster, fish catch

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http://hosted2.ap.org/NCFAY/9672d9fdd81a405387d1c9ef08e47277/Article_2014-09-03-US--Maine%20Without%20Lobster/id-1026e1ac8c3d4da0b3a728948ea6daff

Warming Gulf of Maine imperils lobster, fish catch
By PATRICK WHITTLE, Associated Press
Sep. 3, 2014 9:13 AM ET

FRIENDSHIP, Maine (AP) — Imagine Cape Cod without cod. Maine without lobster. The region's famous rocky beaches invisible, obscured by constant high waters.

It's already starting to happen. The culprit is the warming seas — and in particular the Gulf of Maine, whose waters are heating up faster than 99 percent of the world's oceans, scientists say.

Long-established species of commercial fish, like cod, herring and northern shrimp, are departing for colder waters. Black sea bass, blue crabs and new species of squid — all highly unusual for the Gulf — are turning up in fishermen's nets.

The Gulf of Maine's warming reflects broader trends around the North Atlantic. But the statistic — accepted by scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — underscores particular fears about the Gulf's unique ecosystem and the lucrative fishing industries it supports for three U.S. states and two Canadian provinces.