"Warming Oceans Putting Marine Life ‘In a Blender’"

"Up in Maine, lobsters are thriving. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission reported last month that stocks there have reached a record high.

Down the coast, however, the story is different. In southern New England, lobster stocks have plummeted to the lowest levels ever recorded, putting many lobstermen out of business.

Lobster populations rise and fall for many reasons. But in its new report, the commission singled out one factor that is probably driving the recent changes: The ocean is getting warmer. ...

New England’s lobsters are part of a planetwide trend. The oceans have been warming in recent decades, largely because of heat-trapping greenhouse gases humans have put in the atmosphere. Many marine species around the world have responded, moving to more comfortable waters."

Carl Zimmer reports for the New York Times September 3, 2015.