More on ocean temperatures around the seascapes

Last tuesday I  summarised the temperature data collected on the buoys and satellites that I could find to describe conditions in the vicinity of our seascapes. I stated that temperatures were warmer than normal without having the data to support it. Ocean temperatures on the beach have been 75F this weekend and dolphins and a humpback whale have been sighted near the beach.  Everybody says the ocean is warmer. But I have found a website that publishes daily sea surface temperature anomalies. Yesterdays map is to the left and shows sea surface temperatures to be 3-4C above normal throughout the mid-Atlantic Bight.  It would be nice to know how long temperatures have been higher than normal because the timing of fish spawning is influenced by temperature as well as the length of daylight, and the growth and development rates of fish larvae are temperature dependent.  The species and developmental stages of the fish larvae we will catch on monday is therefor partially determined by the recent history of temperature in the region.  Temperatures should also influence the species of predators and prey the larvae are exposed to and thus their mortality and growth rates.  A time series of maps similar to the one above would tell us how long temperatures have been warmer than the long term average this spring and early summer.