Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Rising Ocean Temperatures Are Killing Lobsters & "Turning Sea Stars To Mush"
By
Nell Casey
Published Feb 18, 2016
Modified Feb 18, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Jake Dobkin/Gothamist
By
Nell Casey
Published Feb 18, 2016
Modified Feb 18, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Climate change will kill agriculture, snow sports and eventually us, but before it does, it'll take away one of our favorite food sources: lobsters. Another upsetting report published by the Washington Post reveals the consequences of warming oceans, specifically the impact it has on lobsters and sea stars. Both animals are victims of diseases that proliferate more rapidly in warmer water temperatures, a symptom of climate change that's inescapable at this point.
The balmy ocean temperatures have increased the prevalence of a disease that is "turning sea stars to mush and killing lobsters by burrowing under their shells and causing lesions," according to two new studies published this week. The shell deterioration, which sounds painful, makes the lobsters unmarketable, devastating fisheries in Southern New England and Long Island and threatening the lobster business in Maine. As ocean temperatures continue to rise, the bacteria will spread more rapidly, threatening lobster rolls worldwide.
Though they don't taste great slathered in mayo, the prognosis for sea stars is even more bleak. One species has disappeared entirely from the west coast and others are diminishing in rapid numbers in the Pacific ocean. Though the virus has been present in the cute critters for some time, "the disease, plus death, was more prominent in temperatures between 54 degrees and 66 degrees."
Tagged
climate change
lobsters
sea stars
warming oceans
Nell Casey
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .