A stark record was set last year in the Gulf of Maine, which is already one of the fastest warming ocean bodies in the world.
According to new data released this week by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, 2021 was its warmest year observed to date, with an average temperature of 54.14 degrees Fahrenheit.
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“My first reaction was well that makes sense,” said Laura Minich Zitske, who directs the Coastal Birds Project at Maine Audubon.
In a Thursday interview with NECN & NBC 10 Boston, Minich Zitske said that the GMRI data lines up with trends Maine Audubon have seen in seabirds like terns and puffins who live near the gulf going back decades.
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She noted that "one of the biggest things" is seabirds modifying their diet because "of what fish are around and prey species for seabirds."
"The birds have to adapt and they’ll feed something different to their young and to themselves and it might not be as nutrient rich," she explained.
Minich Zitske added that if young birds do not get food with the nutrients they need in it, then it can be harder for them to grow and fly.
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She also noted that if this type of problem impacts species from terns to Maine’s iconic puffins, research indicates there may be larger problems in the ocean ecosystem the birds are part of.
That could mean more than just a few cancelled tours because of collapsed puffin colonies.
Industries that generate hundreds of millions of dollars like fishing, lobstering and tourism can be affected by the health of the Gulf of Maine.
"What we really need to know is where things go from here," she said.
"I hope this brings attention to the issue because it’s something that, whether or not we realize it, affects us all," she added.
