Saving Seafood

Long-term study planned in ocean south of Martha’s Vineyard

March 13, 2017 — A group of scientists is taking a deep dive into the salty waters and the food web south of Martha’s Vineyard.

Heidi Sosik, a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, will use submersible robotic microscopes she helped design and build, as well as an array of other sophisticated scientific gadgets to gain a fuller understanding of the ecosystem on part of the continental shelf stretching from just south of the Vineyard to an area where coastal waters meet the open ocean.

The study, which will involve a group of scientists and researchers led by Sosik, is being funded with $6 million from the National Science Foundation.

“The goal is that these ecosystems will be studied indefinitely,” Sosik said.

The team of experts will scrutinize the very foundation of the marine food chain: tiny plankton invisible to the eye but which can be seen with the aid of powerful underwater microscopes. The goal is to determine patterns in the ocean’s food web and how and why they change over time, so better management practices can be developed.

Waters off the Northeast coast are rich in fish, which depend on plankton to survive and in turn support the vigorous regional fishing industry that’s existed there for centuries.

Read the full story at the Cape Cod Times

Right Whales Gather Early; Mariners Asked to Take Caution

February 28, 2017 — Sailors are asked to take caution in waters around Martha’s Vineyard after 10 critically-endangered North Atlantic right whales were seen feeding in waters south of the Island.

Last week NOAA fisheries announced a voluntary vessel speed restriction zone 16 nautical miles south of the Vineyard. Mariners are asked to either avoid the area or travel through at 10 knots or less. Coordinates are available at the fisheries website.

The speed restriction zone is in effect through Wednesday, March 8.

According to NOAA an aggregation of 10 right whales was spotted in the area on Feb. 21, including one whale south of Gay Head and Noman’s Land and several other whales directly south of the middle of the Island.

North Atlantic right whales weigh up to 79 tons and can grow to be 50 feet long. They give birth to calves from December through March in coastal waters off Georgia and Florida, and travel north to New England waters to feed on plankton. The first reports of North Atlantic right whales this season in Cape Cod Bay came in late December, and aerial surveys have shown aggregations of 25 to 30 whales in the bay since then, according to the Center for Coastal Studies, a larger than average number. Right whale sightings usually increase beginning in mid-March.

Read the full story at the Vineyard Gazette

MASSACHUSETTS: Selectmen Revoke Two Scallop Licenses Over Infractions

December 21st, 2016 — The Edgartown selectmen voted this week to revoke the shellfish license of two commercial bay scallopers for violating town shellfish laws. Mark Morri and Michael Hathaway both lost their licenses for unrelated infractions.

At a contentious public hearing Monday, selectmen voted unanimously to revoke the license of Mr. Morris for refusing to allow inspection of his bay scallop catch by shellfish constables.

The action followed the unanimous recommendation of the town’s shellfish committee.

The incident in question with Mr. Morris occurred on Dec. 5. According to a report filed by deputy shellfish constables Warren Gaines and Rob Morrison, Mr. Morris first agreed to allow the constables to inspect his daily scallop catch, but instead of pulling the boat onto his trailer, he turned and sped off through the harbor, leaving the sight of the constables. When he returned 10 minutes later, according to the report, there were no scallops aboard other than the legal limit.

“Whether there were scallops or not doesn’t really matter,” said Mr. Morrison. “What matters, he did not consent to a check.”

The next day, when constables again asked to inspect his daily catch, Mr. Morris refused.

“You guys are never allowed to check my boat and you’ll need a search warrant if you want to check my [expletive] boat again,” Mr. Morris is quoted as saying in the constables’ report.

At the Monday hearing, shellfish constable Paul Bagnall said a condition of a commercial license is consent to inspect catches in boats, vehicles, fishing shacks, and anywhere else other than a home.

Read the full story at the Vineyard Gazette 

MASSACHUSETTS: Bird’s eye view: Scientist visits students, talks researching oceans with drones

November 28, 2016 — “Using Drones and Robotic Boats to Study Coastlines.” What kid wouldn’t be interested in this? Newburyport public school students were enthralled when Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research scientist Dr. Peter Traykovski visited their classrooms.

A pioneer in using drones for mapping and data collection in order to increase understanding of how coastal processes work, Traykovski showed students how hobby grade robotics have the potential to revolutionize studying and monitoring coastal processes with examples and pictures from aerial imaging drones and robotic boats.

Traykovski has used off the shelf drones and software to produce 3-D profiles of eroding beaches on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard.

“The exciting part for us was the drone work he has been doing,” said Elizabeth Kinzly, PreK-8 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) coordinator for the Newburyport Public Schools. “Even our youngest kid is totally motivated when you talk about drones.”

Traykovski was invited to Newburyport by Storm Surge, a group of citizens from Amesbury, Newburyport, Ipswich, Rowley, Merrimac, Salisbury, Newbury, and West Newbury concerned with the impacts of sea level rise, extreme weather events and other effects of long-term climate change in the Greater Newburyport area. He made a presentation at City Hall on Nov. 2 and visited the schools the following day.

“Our purpose is to provide awareness and foster preparedness,” said Sheila Taintor, one of the founders of Storm Surge in 2013. “Our purpose is not action, but education. We have had a speaker series since 2013, and Peter Traykovski was our most recent speaker. We sponsored his visit, but he received no stipend. I’m always amazed how generous scientists are with their time.”

Read the full story at Wicked Local Newburyport

Whale-finding phone app grows in use, helps mariners steer clear

May 27, 2016 — PORTLAND, Maine — With summer whale watching season fast approaching, conservation advocates and government agencies who want to protect whales say a mobile app designed to help mariners steer clear of the animals is helping keep them alive.

The Whale Alert app provides a real-time display of the ocean and the position of the mariner’s ship, along with information about where whales have been seen or heard recently. It also provides information on speed restrictions and restricted areas, and recommends routes shippers can take to avoid endangered species such as the blue whale and the North Atlantic right whale.

New England whale watching companies are gearing up for summer, and more than a quarter of the entire North Atlantic right whale population visited Cape Cod Bay this season. That means conditions are perfect to get more mariners and the public on board with protecting whales, said Patrick Ramage, whale program director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

Andy Hammond, of Martha’s Vineyard, is one such mariner. He has used the tool aboard pilot boats to avoid whales in Boston Harbor.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Boston Herald

Coast Guard crew rescues injured fisherman

April 14, 2016 — A United States Coast Guard crew from Station Menemsha on Martha’s Vineyard rescued an injured fisherman Tuesday night near the Elizabeth Islands.

The Coast Guard received a report at 8:30 p.m. from the captain of the Ocean Boy, a 74-foot fishing boat out of New Bedford, that a crewmember had injured his hand and needed medical attention, according to a Coast Guard press release.

A 47-Foot Motor Lifeboat launched from Station Menemsha in Chilmark and arrived at the Ocean Boy, which was located in Quicks Hole, at about 9:20 p.m., according to the press release.

The Coast Guard crew transported the injured man to Woods Hole where he was transferred to Barnstable County Emergency Medical Services, according to the press release.

See the full story at the Cape Cod Times 

Fishing boat taking on water off Martha’s Vineyard, crew rescued by Coast Guard

January 18, 2016 — A four-man crew aboard a vessel taking on water, was rescued by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and a good Samaritan early Friday morning. According to a USCG release, watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England received a call from the crew of the Sasha Lee reporting they were taking on water.

The fishing vessel was located 11 miles southwest of Martha’s Vineyard. Watchstanders issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast (UMIB) and launched a 47-foot motor life boat crew from Coast Guard Station Menemsha. The 270-foot Coast Guard Cutter Spencer, which is homeported in Boston, was diverted to the scene.

Read the full story at Cape Cod Today

 

Southeastern New England Coast Guard Saves Five Lives in Three Incidents

January 15, 2016 — HYANNIS – The Coast Guard and a good Samaritan teamed up to respond to three separate Southeastern New England maritime emergencies last night.

“Since last night, the command center’s four person watch team utilized our technology and partnerships with local agencies to expertly execute three separate search and rescue cases, saving five lives,” said Captain John Kondratowicz, Commander of Sector Southeastern New England.

At about 4:30 a.m. this morning, the captain aboard the fishing boat Sasha Lee used contacted watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England and relayed they were taking on water 11 miles southwest of Martha’s Vineyard and had four people aboard.

A 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew from Coast Guard Station Menemsha was dispatched and the Coast Guard Cutter Spencer, a 270-foot cutter homeported in Boston, also diverted to help.

Once on scene, two Coast Guard station members went aboard the Sasha Lee with a dewatering pump and controled the flooding.

Read the full story at CapeCod.com

 

MASSACHUSETTS: Fishermen’s Trust Looks to the Future

January 7, 2016 — After a strong year, the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust is pressing ahead with its mission to support commercial fishermen on the Island. On Tuesday, eight of the nine board members attended a meeting of the Chilmark selectmen to seek further support.

“We have accomplished as much as we possibly can do in a volunteer setting,” board member and commercial fisherman Wes Brighton said, emphasizing the need for funding and other support to help attract young fishermen and sustain the industry. The Island fleet has struggled in the face of increasing costs and regulations in recent years.

Last summer the trust held its first Meet the Fleet event in Menemsha, drawing large crowds to the harbor and raising awareness of the challenges facing the industry. It also partnered with The Nature Conservancy to purchase the Island’s last federal groundfish permit, in its efforts to establish a permit bank to support Island fishermen.

But the Island’s historic fishing harbor is changing. In September, the 75-foot Unicorn dragger was sold in New Bedford, following the path of its sister ship, the Quitsa Strider II, in 2014. Both ships had once landed groundfish and other species by the ton but ended up unused and rusting in the harbor. Trust president John Keene worried that as Island lobstermen retire, a new generation may be unable to replace them.

“Pretty soon the harbor will be without the main attraction,” he said of the commercial fishing fleet. “We’re worried that if that happens, then Menemsha starts changing from what it is to more of a marina.”

Read the full story at the Vineyard Gazette