VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A dip in the water to cool off isn’t as cool as it used to be. From the Chesapeake Bay to the Atlantic Ocean and around the globe, ocean temperatures have been at record highs this year.
“So the at this point, we are documenting that water temperatures are increasing throughout the globe,” said Jessica Whitehead, executive director of Old Dominion University’s Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience. “In particular, this is something that we see off of the Mid-Atlantic coast, and in the northeast. And the big impact of this right now that we see are marine heatwaves.”
Researchers in Virginia have been sounding the alarm about Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. If AMOC collapses in one to 71 years, the entire Hampton Roads region could be in jeopardy.
“So these local governments [in Hampton Roads] are very seriously looking at 1.5-foot sea level rise under this intermediate high scenario by 2050,” Whitehead said, “and all the way up to potentially a 4.5-foot sea level rise by 2100.”
Crustaceans are getting ahead of humans. Four years ago, 10 On Your Side showed you the thousands of shrimp that have migrated from North Carolina to Virginia Beach and manatees, common in Florida, have visited the 757.
“Fossil fuels are really the heart of it,” Whitehead said. “As we burn fossil fuels, we are putting more chemicals into the atmosphere that trap heat that’s increasing our air temperatures slowly. It’s increasing our water temperature slowly. And then it’s also raising the question of these tipping points. As we take actions that reduce our fossil fuel emissions, switching to clean energy, if you have a home that’s based on natural gas, can you switch to electric,” Whitehead said.
There’s more bad news.
Whitehead said the waters are more acidic because of pollution, and that puts the seafood industry at risk.
“We’re also paying ourselves, because then, we’re not paying for the cost of the impact, like a potential impact from sea level rise or a potential impact from ocean acidification and oysters and clams, which I know I love to eat,” Whitehead said.
Timing is everything in the weather business, and Whitehead said this weekend is a perfect time to stock up on your hurricane supplies.
This is tax-free weekend for items such as generators, chainsaws and batteries.