This anomalous warming has only been exceeded during ocean heatwaves in 2012 and 2016. By 2050, lobster populations in the Gulf of Maine may dwindle to two-thirds of their current size. Because warming waters are generally depleted in nutrients, the warming Gulf has also proved challenging for newborn puffin chicks. As a result, only 32% of puffin chicks survived this year (compared to 68% in 2017, but still better than the 21% that survived during the ocean heatwave in 2016). For example, there have been reports of squid and butterfish (both of which are too large to feed puffin chicks) in the Gulf this year.

Source: Forbes December 17, 2018 17:02 UTC