ASSOCIATED PRESS • February 15, 2023
The waters off New England, which are home to rare whales and most of the American lobster fishing industry, logged the second-warmest year on record last year. The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than the vast majority of the world’s oceans. Last year the average sea surface temperature was 53.66 degrees, more than 3.7 degrees above the 40-year average, the scientists said. The accelerated warming is changing an ecosystem that’s host to numerous important commercial fishing industries, especially for lobsters.