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Jun 08, 2023

Commentary: In hot water

Jack Clarke Charles Darwin didn’t say survival of the fittest went to the strongest or smartest, he said it went to those most readily adaptable to change. Gloucester is strong and smart, but also

Jack Clarke

Charles Darwin didn’t say survival of the fittest went to the strongest or smartest, he said it went to those most readily adaptable to change.

Gloucester is strong and smart, but also must adapt to change, especially in its surrounding waters.

Earth is at the end of its fifth great ice age — that’s science not opinion. The difference with this one, however, is that the change in climate we see today is more rapid than the others, and human induced. Among its major impacts are overheating oceans, stronger storms, and what appears to be weather on steroids.

Those are game-changers to this seaport’s way of life. They affect the community’s character, soul, and livelihood, particularly in the commercial fishery.

The biggest long-term threat to fishing off Gloucester is not wind farms, regulations, or over-fishing – it’s hot water.

Cold-water species such as cod, lobster, bay and sea scallops, oysters, striped bass, and northern shrimp, must cope with living conditions so uncomfortable that not only is it affecting their reproductive rates, but it may be inducing them to leave.

A recent Woods Hole study predicted that even highly migratory fish such as the prized Atlantic bluefin tuna, could lose up to 60% of its habitat by the end of the century due to rapidly heating seas. The scientists say that tuna could respond by heading north in search of cooler temperatures.

Apparently replacing local fish species are new ones such as black sea bass, and blue crab. Fisheries biologists and fishermen report that a good number of these fish are already appearing in New England waters.

Writing in the journal “Limnology and Oceanography,” climate scientists tell us that the “ocean is warming at an alarming rate.” and the Gulf of Maine, where a lot of our guys fish, is warming faster than all the world’s oceans. This is consistent with other studies produced over the last decade.

Scientists also forecast even higher temperatures for the region. This spells disaster for the Gulf of Maine.

Sometimes known as a “sea within a sea,” the Gulf of Maine is a highly dynamic 36,000 square mile basin bounded by Cape Cod to the south and Nova Scotia’s Cape Sable Island to the north. It is one of the world’s most biologically productive ecosystems.

So, what’s going on and why is it taking such a hit?

First, it’s important to understand a vital component of the Earth’s climate system — the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation or AMOC. The AMOC consists of a northward flow of warm salty water in the upper layers of the Gulf Stream, and a southward flow of colder waters in the deeper layers.

As the belt circulates, the upper-level water transfers heat back into the atmosphere. That’s how it’s supposed to work.

But it’s out of whack. As a fixture of the ocean, the great conveyor belt also absorbs heat that humans dump into the atmosphere. The problem is the water is overloaded. The AMOC can’t take anymore. Its response is to slow down, lose strength, disrupt weather patterns, and raise havoc for fish.

What’s to be done?

First, we need to rapidly transition from fossil fuels and de-carbonize our economy.

Second, with so much carbon already baked into the atmosphere, we still must adapt to its consequences. That may mean harvesting and marketing new species of fish.

State and federal fishery managers also need to acknowledge that an inhospitable environment appears to be a major contributing factor to the decline of sacred cod and other fish species throughout the Gulf of Maine.

It is therefore critical that fishermen, regulators, and fisheries biologists work with climate scientists and oceanographers to better understand the link between climate science, marine science, and fisheries management. Only when we make, understand, and manage that nexus can we better adapt to our changing environment, economy, and way of life.

Today, the challenge is saving the planet from heat-trapping gases, while also saving ourselves. Adapting to the already existing effects of climate change, especially in the sea around us, isn’t throwing in the towel but rather facing the realities of living with and adapting to its effects. Only then will we survive.

Jack Clarke is a Gloucester resident and frequent contributor to the Gloucester Daily Times.

Jack Clarke

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