Terrapin Traverser

The Terrapin Traverser 

by Brendan McCarthy

            This summer, I worked on repairing a hand-made wooden prawn boat as my main project for NECWA. I am, in no way, shape, or form, an experienced carpenter. As a result, I was very much outside of my comfort zone throughout the entire endeavor. I consulted many boat repair shops and various other people in the field about how to properly fix up a boat that was not capable of floating.

The Terrapin Traverser right side up and freshly scrubbed.

            After many consultations, I began to gather the various materials required of me, including a sander, sandpaper, epoxy, resin, boat paint, etc. I was excited to take on a new challenge, something very outside my comfort zone. I was presented with a pristine opportunity to dive into a field of work that I had no previous knowledge of. This allowed me to grow as an intellectual and as a competent worker.

Brendan (red shirt) and Jacob (green shirt) sanding the bottom of the boat. 

The first step was to sand down the entire bottom of the boat. Next we had to caulk all the gaps between the wood. After the caulk dried, we had to sand the bottom of the boat once more. Then we applied fiberglass to the areas we had caulk and to areas that were cracked or weakened after we had applied one coat of epoxy. Then four more coats of epoxy and finally painted our finished product. 

The painted bottom of the boat. 

            The project allowed me to become better rounded, and eventually when the boat was put in the water, it did indeed float. Many thanks to AJ’S Boat Repair Shop for allowing us to house our boat by their ramp! With the guidance of various other people in the organization, YouTube videos, and a passionate team of people helping me with the work, we got it done.

Brendan with the Terrapin Traverser at AJ's Boat Co.

Catching terrapins while balancing on a boat definitely presents a skillset for us to further develop, but as time progresses, so will out ability to catch these animals to further our research and conservation efforts. Now instead of just flying for team terrapin, we can float too.

Ready to make our mark out on the water. Go NECWA!

Videos that provided me with ideas of how to work on the boat and the best way to approach it:
Sanding wooden small boat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsKh7qSCX7Y

Applying an epoxy coating to a wooden boat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwsG-BA2bU0
Wooden Boat Revival: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZIM2ZJBEgs

Keystone Species: What They Are and Why You Should Care

Keystone Species: What They Are and Why You Should Care

A keystone species is any organism that is irreplaceable in its ecosystem.  These animals, plants, fungi, and other life forms significantly influence their surroundings and the number of other members of their food webs.  A defining feature of keystone species is that though they have a large impact, they’re not incredibly abundant.  Sea otters, African elephants, fig trees and hummingbirds are all examples of keystone species.

A kelp forest with otters, and without https://seaotters.com/2013/05/why-are-sea-otters-important-no-sea-otters-no-kelp-forests/

Keystone species are often predators, not prey species.  Their job is to keep other species in check and maintain balance in the ecosystem. Sea otters prey on sea urchins in kelp forests.  Without this interaction, the kelp forests would be completely diminished by the sea urchins.  African elephants, on the other hand, create more grazing land in the savannahs, which increases the quantity and type of grazing animals that can live there, including gazelles, etc. .  African elephants help to promote biodiversity in their environment, rather than keeping other populations in check.

African Elephants in the savannah https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/keystone-species/

Fig trees and hummingbirds represent more subtle types of keystone species.  Fig trees, while certainly not predators, help to maintain their ecosystems by providing resources in the form of food, housing and building materials for other birds as well as mammals.  Without the constant supply of resources, these dependent species would struggle to sustain their populations.  Hummingbirds, like bees, are pollinators that we and other species heavily rely on. Hummingbirds work as a link to maintain plant populations that help support other populations of animals.

In the New England region, copepods are a major primary producer and source of energy for fish, birds and marine mammals.  Basking sharks and North Atlantic right whales consume copepods as filter feeders.  Small fish eat copepods and are consumed by larger fish or by birds.  Crabs and shrimp also feed on these tiny organisms.

Copepods https://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/copepod/about/what-n-why.html

Keystone species, despite their importance to the environment and their own ecosystems, are not immune to the threats that the rest of the natural world faces.  Climate change and human action is especially detrimental when it encroaches on the lives of these species because they uphold many other species.  This makes conservation efforts and general respect for plants and animals imperative, as the collapse of one species means the collapse of many.

For more information and further reading, use the following websites:

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/keystone-species/
https://web.utk.edu/~mnunez/Keystones%20Nunez%20Dimarco.pdf
https://www.britannica.com/science/keystone-species
https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/keystone-species-15786127
https://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/copepod/about/what-n-why.html

Your Guilt Free Gift Giving Guide

Your Guilt Free Gift Guide

Buying gifts can be difficult, especially for the tree hugger in your life.  You want it to be personal, meaningful, and environmentally friendly.  If you’re looking for the perfect gift for the greenest member of your family, take a look at some of the companies and products below.  These gift ideas add a whole new meaning to the gift that keeps on giving.

Clothing and Jewelry and Other Apparel: Fashion forward and feel good choices

SANDCLOUD

Sandcloud is perfect for your ocean lover. Based out of California and specializing in cute, beachy wares like towels, reef safe sunscreen, metal straws, and glass water bottles, Sandcloud emphasizes a plastic free lifestyle.  They also offer tee shirts made from recycled water bottles, which are incredibly soft and smooth.  When you buy from Sandcloud, 10% of your purchase goes towards marine life conservation, and 6 of their main recipients are listed under their mission statement.

Wonderful blanket that is light and easy.

HAPPY EARTH APPAREL
Like Sandcloud, Happy Earth Apparel works with multiple foundations and organizations to help make positive change in the environment.  Their inventory is vast and includes apparel, backpacks, stickers, and more.  Happy Earth donates 50% of their profits to 10 different organizations.  If that doesn’t impress you, all their products are vegan, their packaging is recycled, and for every order, at least one tree is planted. 

Long sleeve shirt with one of many gorgeous designs

4OCEAN
For every bracelet they sell, 4Ocean removes one pound of trash from the oceans.  The bracelets themselves have a cord made from recycled water bottles and beads made from recycled glass.  There’s a classic design, but they also offer different designs and packages that support different causes and animals.  Since their start-up in 2017, 4Ocean has removed over 2 million pounds of trash from oceans and coastlines.

PLANET LOVE LIFE
Planet Love Life draws attention to the risk that fishing nets pose to marine life.  Their mission is to clear the oceans of discarded nets.  The nets are then transformed into bracelets, rings, and earrings.  Like 4Ocean, Planet Love Life has jewelry that is dedicated to specific causes.  Planet Love Life also organizes clean ups and works with a handful of non-profits.

A pretty dark blue bracelet made from fishing net

Technology: Innovative and Eco-Friendly Options for the Technologically Minded

PELA CASE
The Pela Case is one of the only eco-friendly phone cases out there.  This company’s goal is to stop litter and pollution, not by picking it up, but by not producing it in the first case.  Besides, their outstandingly eco-friendly business model, Pela Case has some gorgeous biodegradable phone cases for both Apple and Android phones.  The company also donates to environmental causes has featured phone cases dedicated to some of those casues.

A biodegradable phone case with a coral reef design

NIMBLE
Nimble is another step in the right direction for the technology industry.  Besides offering 100% recycled phone cases, they create plant based portable and wireless chargers.  Using a combination of plant-based bioplastics, recyclable aluminum, and fabrics made from organic hemp and recycled plastic bottles, Nimble offers a gorgeous and eco-friendly piece of technology.  Their packaging is also eco-friendly, and they offer a prepaid envelope for you to mail obsolete technology to a responsible recycling center.

Nimble products are made and shipped with sustainable materials

Donations: for When You Want To Do Good in Their Name
NECWA
We would love if you made a donation to help support us and all that we do!  We also have an online store where you can buy apparel, stickers, and other goods.  Because we’re a non-profit, any gift or purchase you make goes directly to the animals we help and the supplies we need.  Put us on your wish list!  If you'd like to make a donation, use this link.  Our store can be found here.

Check out our online store for NECWA gear!

SEA SHEPHERD
Sea Shepherd is a another non-profit with an amazing mission.  They take direct action to protect the oceans and work to expose any illegal activities.  Supporting Sea Shepherd is a great choice as a gift and they make it easy.  Besides basic monetary and memorial donations, they accept other charitable acts like vehicle donations, planned estate giving, stock donations, and they have an online store with profits that go directly to the organization.  You can also donate to their specific operations and missions. 

INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR ANIMAL WELFARE
Similar to Sea Shepherd, the IFAW takes many forms of donations and also has a few petitions that help make a difference.  The IFAW takes on broader challenges, although Marine Conservation is one of their missions, along with Disaster Response and Wildlife Rescue.  This would be a perfect donation to make in the name of the animal lover in your life.

Unlocking the Mysteries of the Great white shark

by NECWA intern Emma Hoffstein

One of the most feared and misunderstood marine animals is the Great white shark. The latin name, Carcharodon carcharias, is taken from the Greek words for sharp, “karcharos” and for teeth, “odous”; the species name, carcharias, is taken from the Greek word for “to point”, which is used in the Australian Great white nickname, the White Pointer. Great whites live in waters worldwide, ranging from as far north as the Gulf of Maine to the southernmost points of New Zealand.

Great white shark - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Great whites reach full maturity rather late in life, at around age 26 for males at a max of 16 ft, and age 30-33 for females, which can reach maximum lengths of 20 ft or more. Great whites give birth to live young called pups, each around 5 ft in length, that are totally independent from birth! Currently, there are some areas of ocean thought to be white shark nurseries, such as Long Island Sound, NY, and the Baja Coast of California. These nurseries are calm, shallow waters near enough to land that the mother can feed well after birthing, and safe for her babies to spend the first part of their lives.

biggest great white sharks off Hawaii ...

bbc.com

White sharks feed mainly on seals and sea lions, attacking them from behind and below in a sneak attack their prey can’t see coming until it’s too late. Some populations of White sharks, notably in the warm waters off South Africa, have an unusual behavior where they breach, or jump, fully out of the water from their speedy vertical attacks. These breaching attacks are quite formidable to watch and are thought by some shark biologists to also be a way of showing off for a mate, or communicating, similar to whales and dolphins.

Great White Shark | National Geographic

nationalgeographic.com

In general, White sharks have no natural predators due to their ferocity and large size; occasionally, Killer whales (Orcinus orca) will prey on a lone White shark, such as a juvenile, elder shark, or injured/weak individual. However, the biggest threat to the Great white are humans! Practices such as overfishing and shark finning have decimated countless shark populations worldwide; annually, 8-11 humans are killed in shark-related incidences; compared to the number of sharks killed from finning each year, which totals over 100 million, it’s not fair to persecute a curious wild animal simply because it was defending itself from the strangers—humans—invading its native habitat.

dummy seal off Cape Town, South Africa ...

telegraph.co.uk

It’s humanity’s job to advocate for the countless species and individuals who cannot do it themselves, mainly animals and plants. We have the most powerful and widespread voice, and our influence can know no bounds if we put ourselves out there and fight to protect our oceans and marine animals.

For more information on Great Whites and threats to sharks, please feel free to use the following links:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/g/great-white-shark/

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/great-white-shark

http://www.atlanticwhiteshark.org/

https://www.capecodtimes.com/great-white-sharks-map

https://oceana.org/blog/what-are-some-biggest-threats-facing-sharks