North Atlantic Oscillation
Seeing the big picture in the Gulf of Maine
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| Image: University of Maine, School of Marine Science | Map: Chris Brehme, Redrawn from map by Neal R. Pettigrew |
7. Ripple effects reach bays and estuaries
- Shifts in the deep ocean can lead to important changes in coastal waters.
- During the summer of 1998, a GoMOOS buoy in Penobscot Bay recorded temperatures 2°C colder than the previous summer.
- An influx of cold Labrador Slope Waters into the Gulf of Maine had changed the characteristics and path of the Eastern Maine Coastal Current (EMCC), which flows west to Penobscot Bay. The EMCC influences water circulation and conditions in Penobscot Bay.
- Scientists believe that the EMCC carries drifting lobster larvae to Penobscot Bay but NAO-induced shifts could affect lobster settlement in the bay.
GoMOOS could provide early warning
Scientists are exploring many possible links between offshore and coastal ecosystems, such as how large-scale fluctuations in oceanography affect groundfish, shrimp fisheries, and harmful algal blooms. GoMOOS buoys are uniquely positioned to aid this research and to provide early warning of offshore changes before they affect coastal environments.
1.Seeing the big picture: Introduction
2.Offshore buoys are sentinels of change
3.GoMOOS monitors currents entering the Gulf Of Maine
4."El Niño of the Atlantic" affects the incoming currents
5.Warm or cold currents can penetrate the Northeast Channel
6.Case study: Cold water invades the Gulf of Maine
7.Ripple effects reach bays and estuaries
Acknowledgements