A recent study tells us that the Gulf Stream, a powerful ocean current, has been warming up faster than the rest of the global ocean for the last 20 years. It’s also changing its course, moving closer to the Atlantic coast.
According to scientists, this current, which brings warm tropical water up the East Coast, has gotten about two degrees Fahrenheit warmer since 2001. This warming trend might be sending even warmer water into the Gulf of Maine.
Robert Todd, a scientist from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, said that the findings match what climate models predicted. He stressed the importance of long-term ocean monitoring to better understand climate changes.
Todd also pointed out that human activities are steadily increasing ocean temperatures. This new information could help us understand how the Gulf Stream’s shifts might affect Maine’s coastal businesses.
The Woods Hole study gathered data from over 25,000 measurements of ocean temperature and salinity through the Argo Program, which uses thousands of floating robots worldwide. They also used underwater gliders to explore the Gulf Stream, discovering warm rings of water. Todd believes these warm rings could enter the Gulf of Maine, impacting marine life.
He explained, “Imagine if an organism prefers cold water, and suddenly the water gets much warmer because of these rings. Those organisms might struggle, and it could affect the fisheries connected to them.”
The Gulf of Maine, stretching from Cape Cod to Nova Scotia, is already one of the fastest-warming ocean areas on Earth. The data collected is shared with scientists worldwide in real time.
Reimagined By Webby
DISCLAIMER: Author is under many pen names. This article was rewritten based on these links: Study confirms Gulf Stream warming, shifting toward Maine coast (msn.com)
