Tag Archives: Labrador Sea

Nova Scotia shrimp trawler returning to port after ice encounter in Labrador Sea

A Mersey Seafoods shrimp trawler headed back toward its Nova Scotia base Thursday after suffering ice damage while fishing off the coast of Labrador earlier this week. The bow of the 70-metre Mersey Phoenix struck ice. It caused a small crack that led to a small amount of water leaking into the ship. Mersey Seafoods CEO Greg Simpson said the vessel, with a crew of 30 on board, is not in any danger. >click to read< 13:21

Warming trend continues in waters off Atlantic Canada

Warmer ocean temperatures off Atlantic Canada continued in 2016, maintaining a trend that started earlier this decade, according to survey results from Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans. On the Scotian Shelf off Nova Scotia, temperatures last year were as high as three degrees above the 30-year average used to establish climatic norms. “It’s not quite the same [record] level of 2012, but it’s getting close to it,” said Dave Hebert, a research scientist with DFO. He added that 2016 was probably the second warmest year on record.  Scientists have struggled to explain what is causing the most intriguing aspect of the recent trend: the warming of ocean bottom water, which is not influenced by surface weather events. Hebert said the latest theory is based on model results that see the Gulf Stream moving northward and intersecting with the tail of the Grand Banks. “That is stopping the cold Labrador Sea water from coming around the tail of the Grand Banks,” he said. “That’s where we normally get the cold water that refreshes the [Scotian] Shelf. That hasn’t been happening. Read the story here 16:48