Saving Seafood

Study finds human-caused North Atlantic right whale deaths are being undercounted

February 25, 2021 — A study co-authored by scientists at the New England Aquarium has found that known deaths of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales represent a fraction of the true death toll. This comes as the death of a calf and recent sightings of entangled right whales off the southeastern United States raise alarm.

The study, published this month in Conservation Science and Practice, analyzed cryptic mortality of right . Cryptic mortality refers to deaths resulting from human activities that do not result in an observed carcass. The study’s authors combined data on whale encounters, , serious injuries, and necropsies from the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium Identification Database curated by the New England Aquarium with the serious injury and mortality database held by the National Marine Fisheries Service. The scientists concluded that known deaths of the critically  accounted for only 36% of all estimated death from 1990 to 2017.

“Our work has shown that 83% of identified right whales have been entangled one or more times in , and an increasing number of these events result in severe injuries or complex entanglements that the whales initially survive. But we know their health becomes compromised and they eventually succumb and sink upon death,” said Amy Knowlton, senior scientist with the Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life.

Read the full story at PHYS.org

‘Ropeless’ Lobster Fishing Could Save The Whales. Could It Kill The Industry?

February 22, 2021 — By using this technology, Martin eliminates the need to use vertical ropes which can be deadly for North Atlantic right whales diving for food. Rope entanglement is a leading cause of death for the mammals that can weigh as much as 70 tons. In fact, more than 85% of right whales have been entangled in fishing gear at least once, the majority multiple times, according to a report from the New England Aquarium.

Today, with an estimated 370 North Atlantic right whales remaining, the species is classified by the IUCN Red List as critically endangered, one step from extinction.

To save the whales from the brink, state authorities have instituted seasonal fishing closures in waters off New England. More protections from the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, which some fishermen consider burdensome, are still pending.

Conservationists hope that fishermen like Rob Martin can prove ropeless fishing can save both the whales and the lobster industry.

Many lobstermen, though, say they prefer the closures to the technological leap they would have to make to adopt ropeless fishing.

Read the full story at NPR

Right whales enter a new year filled with uncertainty

December 22, 2020 — For North Atlantic right whales, the most endangered great whale — and marine mammal —  on Earth, the good news for the new year started early, with the birth of three calves in the fall.

But a fourth calf washed up dead on a North Carolina beach in late November, believed to have died of natural causes soon after birth.

For a species that now numbers 366 individuals with less than 100 females, the births were hailed as a sign that something at least was going right.

“One of the positives is that two of the three mothers are new mothers,” said Philip Hamilton, a research scientist at the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life. Hamilton oversees the Anderson center’s North Atlantic right whale photo-identification catalog.

After years where the numbers of calves fell below the number of dead whales lost to entanglement in fishing gear and collisions with ships, Hamilton found solace in these new mothers.

Read the full story at the Cape Cod Times

Slow Speed Zone Southeast of Nantucket to Protect Right Whales

December 15, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is implementing a Slow Zone (voluntary vessel speed restriction zone) southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts.

On December 14, 2020 the New England Aquarium aerial survey team noted presence of right whales in this area triggering a slow zone.

Mariners, please go around this area or go slow (10 knots or less) inside this area where right whales have been detected.

The Nantucket Slow Zone is in effect through December 29 for waters bounded by:

41 26 N
40 44 N
069 31 W
070 25 W

See the coordinates for all the slow zones currently in effect.

Read the full release here

Lobstermen Raise Concerns Over Proposed Regulations to Protect Endangered Whales

December 10, 2020 — The state is asking for public feedback on new rules to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales from entanglement in fishing gear.

At a public hearing on Tuesday, the Massachusetts Department of Marine Fisheries (DMF) shared its recommendations to extend a seasonal commercial-gear closure to areas north and east of the Cape from February 1 through April 30.

Dan McKiernan, DMF director, also explained new requirements for vertical buoy lines that would mandate that they break apart when exposed to 1,700 pounds of pressure.

“A recent study by the New England Aquarium on whale entanglement showed ropes with low breaking strength can reduce serious injury and mortality by at least 72 percent,” he said.  “Cooperative research with commercial lobsterman has demonstrated that ropes of these breaking strength are strong enough in most cases to allow for the successful hauling of lobster gear.

“In essence,” he said, “this research and proposal tried to hit the sweet spot for a line that is safe for the industry and beneficial for right whales.”

Read the full story at CAI

Texas Organizations Help Cold-Stunned Sea Turtles from Massachusetts

December 8, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

On Monday, December 7, 120 sea turtles flew south thanks to Turtles Fly Too. These sea turtles were found on Cape Cod, Massachusetts beaches suffering from hypothermia and other complications in recent weeks. They will continue to receive treatment and care from seven facilities in Texas.

Of the more than 500 cold-stunned sea turtles that have washed up so far this year, the vast majority are endangered Kemp’s ridleys. Green and loggerhead sea turtles have been rescued, as well. Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary responds to all of these cold-stunned turtles. They transport live turtles to two Massachusetts rehabilitation facilities: the New England Aquarium and the National Marine Life Center.

Sea turtles are cold-blooded and rely on heat from their environment to maintain their body temperatures. When water temperatures drop rapidly, they become lethargic and unable to swim due to the cold. Many of the turtles have pneumonia, and some have other medical conditions or injuries from being washed against rocks. They require expert care—but with so many turtles, the rehabilitation facilities are filling up. And it’s only early December. The cold-stun season usually lasts until late December or early January.

Read the full release here

Vessel Slow Speed Zone SW of Nantucket in Effect Through December 14

November 30, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is triggering voluntary vessel speed restriction zone (Dynamic Management Area or DMA) southwest of Nantucket, Massachusetts.

This DMA was triggered on November 29, 2020, when an aerial survey team from the New England Aquarium sighted right whales in the area.

Mariners, please go around this area or go slow (10 knots or less) inside this area where right whales have been seen.

South of Nantucket, MA DMA is in effect through December 14, 2020

40 01 N
40 22 N
070 07 W
070 59 W

Other Slow Speed Zones

South of Nantucket, MA DMA is in effect through November 30 (expires today)

40 59 N
40 23 N
069 05 W
069 52 W

Southeast of New York City Slow Zone is in effect through December 2

40 41 N
40 01 N
073 03 W
073 55 W

Southeast of Atlantic City, New Jersey in effect through December 5

39 25 N
38 44 N
073 44 W
074 36 W

Read the full release here

Organizations come together to save endangered turtles after transport flight encounters challenges

November 30, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Endangered sea turtles rescued from the beaches of Cape Cod, MA, are now in the care of Audubon Nature Institute’s Coastal Wildlife Network (CWN) in New Orleans, LA, after a long but successful journey over the Thanksgiving holiday that required collaboration among several organizations.

For weeks, rescue and rehabilitation efforts have been underway as hundreds of cold-stunned sea turtles wash up on the beaches of Cape Cod, MA, suffering from life-threatening medical conditions that are a result of weeks of hypothermia and the inability to feed brought on by plunging ocean water temperatures. Staff and volunteers with Massachusetts Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary rescue the turtles and take them to the New England Aquarium’s sea turtle hospital and to National Marine Life Center, where they are stabilized before being flown to secondary rehabilitation facilities along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico to continue treatment.

On Wednesday, pilots with Turtles Fly Too were transporting 30 Kemp’s ridley turtles to CWN’s Aquatic Center in New Orleans when they encountered strong headwinds and storms. The severe weather slowed the trip, forcing them twice to refuel and change course to avoid winds. When the pilots tried to take off after a second refueling in Chattanooga, TN, a rock kicked up and damaged the plane’s propeller, requiring repairs that prevented it from flying. Staff from Turtles Fly Too, NOAA Fisheries, and the New England Aquarium began contacting colleagues to find emergency housing for the turtles overnight. The president and CEO of the Tennessee Aquarium mobilized his staff to drive to the airport, pick up the turtles, and bring them to their offsite facility.

“It’s easy to fall in love with sea turtles and appreciate the dedicated professionals who work tirelessly to save these endangered animals,” said Keith Sanford, the Tennessee Aquarium’s president and CEO. “Our team was happy to provide assistance to this important rescue and rehabilitation project.”

Veterinarians from the Tennessee Aquarium and New England Aquarium worked together to provide care for the turtles, sharing animal records and performing health exams. While the turtles were kept overnight in Chattanooga, the organizations worked around the clock to create a plan to transport the turtles to their original destination.

Read the full release here

66 turtles rescued from Cape Cod beaches, New England Aquarium says

November 20, 2020 — More than 60 turtles stranded on Cape Cod beaches have been rescued so far this fall and taken to New England Aquarium’s sea turtle hospital in Quincy, as rescue workers face new challenges because of the coronavirus pandemic, the aquarium said Thursday.

At Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, employees and volunteers scour the beaches for turtles stunned by the cold weather, sometimes suffering hypothermia and malnutrition, and take them to the sea turtle hospital, the aquarium said in a statement.

Though the season has just begun, 66 turtles have been treated so far, including Kemp’s ridleys, loggerheads, and leatherbacks, and more are expected in the coming days, the aquarium said.

Read the full story at The Boston Globe

Plastic measures: Report lays out dangers plastics pose to marine life

November 19, 2020 — When Dr. Charles Innis, the lead veterinarian at the New England Aquarium, cut into a 400-pound leatherback sea turtle that had washed up dead on Sandy Neck in November of 2015, he was looking for cause of its demise, signs of disease or parasites.

What the necropsy team encountered was a 3-foot-square sheet of plastic lodged in its stomach.

By any measure, this turtle had experienced the worst that mankind could dish out. Shell deformities and X-rays revealed extensive fractures of the shell and vertebrae from a collision with a vessel. Heavy abrasions and lacerations around the front flippers indicated it had been entangled in fishing gear and that was believed to be the likely cause of death.

But the plastic, which when floating in the water resembles the jellyfish that are the leatherback’s favorite food, would have killed it eventually by blocking its intestine, Innis concluded.

From plastic netting and lines, down to the tiniest nanoplastics that can be eaten by zooplankton and enter the food chain, our seemingly endless seas are choking on plastic, and so are the animals who live there, according to a report released Thursday by the international ocean advocacy nonprofit Oceana.

Read the full story at the Cape Cod Times