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Feeling the Heat

February 1, 2018

Rising water temperatures on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean will drive American lobsters farther north and away from shore, according to new study led by WHOI researcher Jennie Rheuban. Climate models project that ocean bottom temperatures along the U.S. East Coast may rise by up to 4.3 °C (7.7 °F) by the end of the century. “That’s a significant change, and lobsters are particularly sensitive to warming water temperatures,” Rheuban said. Higher temperatures can also reduce energy stores of overwintering invertebrates, such as lobster and copepods, and make them more vulnerable to disease. (Illustration by Natalie Renier, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)