Eastern Bering Sea - 2005

The anomalously warm winter of 2005 follows similarly warm winters of 2003 and 2004. Although surface air temperature in the winter of 2002 was colder than 1961-2000 average, the depth-integrated temperatures at Mooring 2 indicate that the shift to warmer conditions in the Bering Sea began in the spring of 2000. This warming becomes comparable in its scale with major warm episodes in the late 1930s and late 1970s – early 1980s. The spring transition is occurring earlier, and the number of days with ice cover after March 15 has a significant downward trend. In 2005, the ice cover index reached the record low value. The lack of ice cover over the southeastern shelf during recent winters resulted in significantly higher heat content in the water column. Sea surface temperature in May 2005 was above its long-term average value, which means that the summer bottom temperatures will likely be also above average.