MAINE, USA — As a maritime chaplain with Seafarer’s Friend , a 200-year-old New England organization, Thomas Kircher boarded vessels from Portsmouth to Searsport.

Many of the men he met onboard came from other countries on three- to nine-month stints. Kircher offered a quiet ear, listening to their struggles with isolation, as well as practical support, helping them send money home to their loved ones.

In every conversation, Kircher had a go-to question: How’s the weather been out at sea?

Research shows that climate change has led to more frequent marine heatwaves and more intense storms, among other changes, according to NASA . The seafarers Kircher worked with had more immediate concerns than a warming planet, he said, but they all had stories of bigger waves and stronger winds.

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