The 1882 tilefish kill — a cold event in shelf waters off the north‐eastern United States?

摘要: A mass mortality of `warm-water' tilefish in the Middle Atlantic Bight between April and August 1882 suggests an episode extreme cold shelf waters off north-eastern United States. This cooling is hypothesized to be a consequence enhanced equatorwards transport water Labrador Current, coincident with minimum North Oscillation (NAO) index during early 1880s. Although there little direct evidence for this historical event, analogue 1880s found 1960s, at most recent NAO-index minimum. Post-1945 observations Bight / Gulf Maine region reveal changes winter baroclinic circulation cool warm decades, greater equatorward penetration south-westwards flow along shelf-edge 1960s. Over period 1934–77, NAO account 17% interannual variance Current around Grand Banks. Proxy sought. Records bottom temperature are reconstructed using stable oxygen isotopic analysis on annual bands shells bivalve mollusc (Arctica islandica) empirical model covariability local air temperature. The result confirmation presence anomalously 1880s.