July 27, 2026 — Cooler weather in the past 2 years offered some relief to the rapidly warming Gulf of Maine, but it’s not expected to stay that way.
That’s according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) latest “State of the Ecosystem” report on New England’s waters, which was released online last week, and previously presented to the New England Fishery Management Council in April.
While the report found slightly cooler water temperatures in 2024 and 2025, the warming trend is expected to come back this fall and continue to rise long term due to climate change. Scientists attribute the trend to the Gulf Stream, which brings warm water up from the Gulf Mexico, appearing to be getting stronger than in years past.