Water temps???

[LeMonstier]

So the water is still on average in the 60 degree range in South Jersey. This is the coldest I have ever remembered it being this time of year consistently. Is it the melting icebergs? Is it like this in North and central Jersey? It's weird, but the water has been relatively clean which is good.

On a similar subject, there is a ton of coral growing at the jetty I dive at. I started noticing it about 5 years ago but it could have been there forever. I suppose things just change from year to year just as some years I see lots of weakfish and some years the rocks are covered in urchins or star fish and some years it's barren.

Just wondering...

[33fish33]

Hey Adam. I know what you mean. On the south jetty there is a huge amount of a whitish yellowish encrusting sponge, while on the north there is what looks like a red beard sponge (though not as branching). Also, there are those soft fingerlike branching things that may be like a gorgonian (sea fan of some sort). We should get real pics of them to correctly ID cause I think they're awesome and maybe a northern coral.
The continual westish winds are responsible for the cold water I believe. The wind blows the warmer coastal water out to deep water and is replaced by colder deep water (upwelling). Not sure why so much west wind this year.

[LeMonstier]

I suppose it is the upwelling but I like weird mysterious reasons like, giant sea monsters swimming around the area pushing the cold water in. West winds sound so unromantic.

or the presence of underwater pirate ghosts...

[33fish33]

West winds is just the prevailing theory. And everyone knows pirate ghosts can only cause localized water cooling and can't be used to explain state wide phenomena.

[LeMonstier]

Could be an army of ghost pirates or these weird striper monsters.