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Rising temperatures in the Gulf of St. Lawrence

New data shows water temperatures in the Gulf of St. Lawrence River has hit a record high, with experts warning the increase could affect some species living in these waters.

Warming ocean temperatures – especially in deep water – have set multiple records in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in 2021 compared to the past 40 years.

The findings include water temperatures at depths of 200, 250 and 300 meters reaching highs of 5.7 C, 6.6 C and 6.8 C respectively over the past year.

Scientist Peter Galbraith of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans analyzed temperature changes in different layers of water. He told CTV National News that temperatures in the “cold middle” of water are the warmest temperatures scientists have seen since they began collecting such data.

Galbraith said the temperature change is quite sudden, posing a risk to species in the bay that may not be able to adapt in time.

Galbraith explains that warming waters are affecting the habitats of snow crabs and shrimp, among other unique animals and marine life that depend on the Gulf’s ecosystem.

“If 15 years ago you had asked me ‘Can St. Lawrence Bay be this warm?’ I would say, “No, it can’t be,” Galbraith said.

Now, he warns that water temperatures in the gulf are reaching a breaking point.

“We’re close to reaching the limit of ‘as warm as we can get’,” says Galbraith.

The findings from Fisheries and Oceans Canada are part of a global trend in the context of climate change.

The world’s oceans are the hottest on record in 2021 for the sixth year in a row, which scientists attribute in large part to fossil fuel emissions.

Richard Betts, head of Climate Impact Research at the University of Exeter in the UK, says the sudden rise in temperatures is startling.

“The last seven years have been substantially warmer than anything seen before,” Betts said.

However, the scientists say they are still studying the potential changes and effects that may occur after the water temperature rises.

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