Global warming means more lobsters . . .

By Peter Bokulich

. . . for a while.

The warming waters in the Gulf of Maine have led to record catches recently:

“For decades, the lobster catches in the Gulf of Maine were very steady at about 20 million pounds per year. . . . Then they jumped to 40 million pounds per year and last year we landed a record 125 million pounds of lobsters.

The problem is, the water is going to keep getting warmer. And once it gets too warm, the lobster can’t survive.

“Anything above 20º C is extremely stressful for lobsters. . . . Since 2004 the pace of warming has picked up substantially, to about 0.26ºC per year.

The lobster stocks off of Rhode Island and Connecticut are already decimated. Massachusetts will be next. And then Maine.