2 days ago
Warming water globally leads to changes off the coast of Massachusetts
By AARON PARSEGHIAN
As ocean temperatures continue to rise, the water around Massachusetts is warming with it and scientists said the changes are becoming increasingly visible along our coast.
Colleen Bowie, who has visited Revere Beach for decades, said she has noticed differences over the years.
"It's still beautiful, we're lucky to be here," Bowie said. "I appreciate it, but I wish it wasn't changing so much."
Researchers said this summer's ocean temperatures in the Bay State are part of a clear climate change trend. That warmth may be behind recent unusual sightings and health advisories — from a manatee spotted in Mashpee earlier this month to an alert in Falmouth about vibrio vulnificus, a bacteria that can cause a flesh-eating disease typically found along the Gulf Coast.
Dr. Kristina Dahl, Vice President of Science at Climate Central, said warming waters are allowing new species to migrate north and creating conditions for harmful bacteria and algal blooms to thrive.
"With future global warming, we'll continue to see the oceans warm," Dahl said. "And we'll continue to see this poleward march of many species and the sorts of things you're seeing with respect to bacteria, or harmful algal blooms offshore. I lived on Cape Cod for years and the idea that you would see a manatee is just nuts. Obviously, animals are unpredictable. So you get things like isolated one-off animals showing up in weird places just somewhat naturally. But given that manatees are a warm water species, you don't expect to see them in Massachusetts normally but it could be a sign or symptom of our warming temperatures."
The warming trend is already driving traditional Massachusetts marine life, such as cod and lobster, further north in search of colder waters, according to researchers in Woods Hole.
"One of the remarkable things is just how quickly the oceans are changing," said Glen Gawarkiewicz, senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. "It's absolutely important that we keep up our ocean observations."
Over the last two decades, the frequency of warm salty water breaking off from the Gulf Stream and making its way up the east coast has increased 70%, according to Gawarkiewicz.
"We're fortunate now to be working more closely with the commercial fishing industry. And we have more and more fishing vessels that are taking temperature and salinity profiles," he added. "But a lot of these changes have been unexpected."
