Summer May Be Getting Longer In Waters Off New England

PORTLAND, Maine - A group of scientists says summer is getting longer in the waters off New England.
 
The scientists, led by Andrew Thomas of the University of Maine, say the warming of the Gulf of Maine has added up to 66 days of summer-like temperatures to the body of water. The Gulf of Maine stretches from Massachusetts to Nova Scotia and is warming faster than almost all of Earth's oceans.
 
Thomas says the scientists used 33 years of satellite measurements to separate ocean temperature data into months and map out seasonal trends. He says the expansion of summer-time temperatures has significant ramifications for issues such as storms and commercial fisheries.
 
Rising water temperature can disrupt ocean ecosystems. It can also provide more hospitable waters for hurricanes, which feed off warm water.