A new report from the Gulf of Maine Research Institute shows that last year was the second warmest year on record in the Gulf of Maine, just behind 2021.
According to the report, 2022 fits into a recent pattern. With the exception of 2019, each of the last 10 years is within the top ten warmest years on record.
The institute's Janet Duffy-Anderson says the warming has been even greater than anticipated.
"I think the thing that makes it interesting is we're not only in a position of prolonged, sustained warming, but we're at warming levels that are much higher even than sustained warming had been projected," she says.
Researchers are trying to better understand the precise mechanisms of warming. The institute's Dave Reidmiller says shifting ocean currents are one factor.
"Over time, what we've seen happen is that the relative influence of the Gulf Stream in the Gulf of Maine has increased relative to that of the Labrador Current," Reidmiller says.
He notes that temperatures are likely to continue to climb, due to climate change.
