Even in the dead of winter, the Gulf of Maine is a vibrant place. Birds, crabs, and fish abound. Tiny plumes of smoke rise from the homes of Mainers living along the well-populated Southern coast.

But the sea is changing. The Gulf has warmed faster than any body of water in the world, with climate change models projecting surface temperatures to rise another 5.5°F by 2065. “Since 1982, these waters have warmed at a rate of 0.07°F per year—four times the average,” says Gulf of Maine Research Institute Chief Scientific Officer Andrew Pershing in the journal Science in November. It’s a scenario that could spell the end of many cold-water-loving marine species, including Maine’s premier product, lobster.

But enter a potential