NECWA News Blog

Upcoming shark talk by John Chisholm

2012-02-09T16:28:00.000-08:00

The Duxbury Beach Preservation Society (DBPS), a subcommittee of the Duxbury Beach Reservation, Inc. is proud to present John Chisholm, Marine Fisheries Biologist. This year for our “Ed Night,” John, will explore the local world of Sand Tiger Sharks.

Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 4:00 pm at the Duxbury Bay Maritime School.

John is a Marine Fisheries Biologist with The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries, as well as a nature photographer and videographer. Since 2006, he has been researching Sand Tiger Sharks in Duxbury - Kingston - Plymouth Bay. Admission is free, and light refreshments will be served. Please spread the word, as others are welcome to join. This is a family event, but it is more appropriate for children ages 5 and older. If you have any questions, please contact either of the DBPS Co-Chairs, Betsey Campbell at betsey@duxburybeach.com or Tammy Kirk tammy@duxburybeach.com.

Visit (http://www.duxburybeach.com/) and find out more about upcoming DBPS events

January 15, 2012

2012-01-05T12:50:00.000-08:00

New Portable Weighing Tripod a Success for 2011!

Check out our video showing our new portable weighing tripod in action. This video was taken during our last ocean sunfish stranding of the 2011 season. This carcass washed up on Sandy Neck Beach in Barnstable, MA on December 23, 2011. NECWA was contacted on December 26th and we were able to head down to Barnstable on December 27th.

Thanks again to David Clapp and Sam McGee for putting this tripod together for NECWA. So far, we have been able to weigh 3 relatively fresh ocean sunfish carcasses and they are between 350 to 650 pounds. Thanks also to Nick for this great video. Again our NECWA team consisted of Tammy, Michael, Patty, Nick and Krill. Thanks to Rangers Matthey and Nina for all their help. Go Team!

December 27th necropsy on Sandy Neck

2011-12-30T15:21:00.000-08:00

Ocean Sunfish Necropsy on Sandy Neck, Barnstable MA.

Written by Michael O'Neill and Krill Carson

On Friday, December 23rd, a fresh ocean sunfish carcass washed up on Sandy Neck Beach in Barnstable MA. NECWA was notified of this carcass a few days later and a team of volunteers headed down to the Cape Cod on Tuesday, December 27th. Our goal was to try and relocate and necropsy this animal. If we were successful, this would be the latest date for any fresh carcass to wash ashore. The NECWA team included Tammy, Patty, Nick, Michael and Krill.

When we arrived at the gatehouse at Sandy Neck Beach Park (click here for website) we met Ranger Matthew and Ranger Nina. Both were super helpful in learning more about this carcass and its location on the beach. Ranger Matthew offered to drive us and all our gear to the site of the carcass and assist if needed during the examinations. We really appreciated that offer since we were not familiar with this barrier beach area that includes over 4,700 acres of dunes, maritime forest and marshes.

As we drove down the beach, we marveled at the excellent and unseasonably warm weather were were blessed with. Did this have anything to do with this late date stranding of a relatively fresh carcass? We found the carcass where Ranger Matthew had last seen it the day before. Luckily it was above the high tide line so it had not moved even with the strong winds from the night before.

It was amazing to see an animal in as good a condition as this one was, even after 4 days on the beach. Typically scavengers can do quite a bit of damage to a fresh carcass and the eyes of the animal are one of the first things to go, but this sunfish had everything intact, with only a few minor external patches of scavenger damage.

Our first order of business was to erect NECWA's new portable weighing tripod and get an accurate weight for this animal. It was the first time that most of the team had seen and used the tripod. It took us a few tries rigging the carcass in the straps so the body lifted evenly above the sandy beach. When all parts of the carcass were above the sand, the scale recorded 364 pounds!

This isn't the heaviest carcass that we have weighed this season, but it is only the third fresh carcass that has been weighed to date. Thanks again to David Clapp and Sam McGee for helping put this is amazing tripod together. And thanks to our NECWA supporters for your donations allowed us to make this dream a reality.

Our next task was to conduct a Level A examination that includes photographing/videotaping the external features of the animal and collecting a series of body measurements. The team worked very hard to collect accurate measurements that will be added to our database. Nick took the lead on videotaping the necropsy as well as helping to cut when needed. We hope to use this video footage in the future to create a "how to" guide to necropsying ocean sunfish.

Since we began this project in 2005, NECWA has worked hard to collect

one of the largest databases on ocean sunfish of any research group in the area. Recently, researchers from England, Japan and Sweden have contact us asking if we would be willing to collaborate on a variety of research studies. We said "Yes," of course!

Once we completed the Level A examination, Tammy took the lead on the necropsy. Her first job was to locate the gonad in order to determine the sex of this animal. To do this, Tammy through the skin and into the thick layer of reticulated collagen that complete encases the insides of this animal.

We are still not sure what function the reticulated collagen plays, but one thing that we noticed is that its thickness does vary in different areas of the body. The image above shows us measuring the thickness of the reticulated collagen just above the pectoral fin.

The sex of this ocean sunfish was determined male and we collected sections of the teste for future analysis back at the lab. So far, our data indicates an even number of males and females stranding each fall on our New England beaches.

Since this was Michael's and Ranger Matthew's first ocean sunfish necropsy, we spent more time than usual examining the internal organs and structures of this fascinating creature. We even measured the entire GI tract and recorded a length of 430 cm from the beginning of the stomach to the end of the intestine.

We also examined the gill structure where we found several large parasitic copepods (see photo above). After looking at the gills we also checked out the eye of the sunfish and the rows of pharyngeal teeth in the fish's throat (photo directly above).

Our experienced necropsy technicians, Nick and Krill, then worked on the difficult task of removing the entire spinal column from the carcass. This is made more complicated by the thick layer of collagen present under the skin of the fish, as well as the desire to keep the entire spine intact. Because NECWA can use bioartifacts like the sunfish's vertebrae for public education and research, it was extremely important not to accidentally cut through the vertebrae while trying to remove it from the carcass.

While all of these events were going on, our diligent photographer and data logger Patty was documenting every aspect of the necropsy with photos and notes. This is a vital aspect of the necropsy process because detailed notes and photos allow us to examine the information more accurately and prevent the loss of any valuable information that we may have missed out in the field.

Once the necessary samples had been taken, and our examination of the carcass was complete we buried all the parts of the animal that we had removed. Now that the remaining carcass was considerably lighter, Nick, Mike, and Tammy dragged the carcass down the beach to the ocean where the incoming tide quickly swept it away. Ranger Matthew was then kind enough to drive us and our gear back to the entrance of the beach park so we could load up our gear and head for home!

A very successful day on Sandy Neck Beach. Let's hope this is the last ocean sunfish stranding for the season. Happy holidays to everyone and we wish you the best in the coming new year!

NECWA 2011 Annual Appeal

2011-12-18T16:23:00.000-08:00

Click HERE to learn what NECWA accomplished in 2011.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM ALL OF US AT NECWA!

We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Ocean Sunfish carcass in Loagy Bay, Wellfleet, MA

2011-12-11T18:03:00.001-08:00

December 10, 2011

Yesterday, Zack and Jamie helped Krill find a decomposed ocean sunfish that had washed up on the shores of Loagy Bay in Wellfleet MA. Thanks guys for helping locate this carcass that was originally reported to NECWA by Kirsten, a Wellfleet resident.

Over the past few weeks, NECWA has not received any reports of fresh ocean sunfish carcasses on the beaches of Cape Cod. We are very glad about this for it signals the probable end of the ocean sunfish stranding season for 2011. But please continue to look for carcasses. Last year, our last fresh carcasses stranded on Mant's beach in Brewster on December 5th. And with this unseasonably warm weather, you just never know.

Thanks to Kirsten from Wellfleet for the original report of this carcass. Although this carcass was far too decomposed to necropsy, every carcass is vital to our understanding of this amazing species.

So keep sending NECWA your reports. Go to the NEBShark website at www.nebshark.org and send in your sighting information. And please keep an eye out for sea turtles as this is the season that they strand along Cape Cod beaches as well. Sea turtle strandings are reported to Mass Audubon at Wellfleet Bay. If you find a live or dead sea turtle on a beach, call 508-349-2615.

Nicholas Schomburg, NECWA intern, receives award.

2011-12-05T18:37:00.000-08:00

This week, our very own Nicholas Schomburg was awarded a $100 gift certificate to Dick’s Sporting Goods in Colony Place, Plymouth. Nicholas has interned with the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance (NECWA) since the summer of 2009 and is currently a senior at Plymouth South High School. The gift certificate was part of a larger program known as “$100 for 100”, which was sponsored by Joyal Capital Management, Dunkin Donuts, The Pacific Life Foundation/Insurance, First American Insurance, Heidrea, and The Bulfinch Group.

Nicholas was nominated for this reward based on his academic achievement and extracurricular activities associated with NECWA. As a NECWA intern, Nicholas has been involved in a variety of projects and programs related to research, education and conservation in the field of marine biology. He has acted as a Research Assistant and Naturalist aboard Captain John Boats, operating out of Plymouth Harbor.

Nicholas has participated in necropsies of ocean sunfish, seals and dolphins that stranded dead on Cape Cod beaches. And he has been very involved in educational outreach activities for both children and adults. Nicholas’s guidance counselor felt that these types of extracurricular activities helped Nicholas stand out among the rest of his high school peers and therefore, was a key factor in his winning this award.

Congratulations Nicholas from all of us at NECWA!

New Key Tag for Beachwalkers

2011-12-05T14:11:00.000-08:00

Hot off the press and just arrived!

Our new Key Tag for ocean sunfish and sea turtle strandings on Cape Cod.

NECWA and MA Audubon at Wellfleet Bay have partnered on a key tag for beachwalkers. The front has information for beachwalkers who come upon a stranded sea turtle and the back has information on ocean sunfish.

What a great way to keep important numbers with you as you walk local beaches. If you would like one, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to NECWA at 11 Clarence Soule Drive, Middleboro, MA 02346.

Holiday Adoption Special

2011-12-04T00:07:00.000-08:00

Holiday Gift Idea from NECWA

Marine Wildlife Adoptions for that Someone Special!

Need a unique gift for that someone special this holiday season? Then consider adopting a humpback whale, great white shark, gray seal, Atlantic white-sided dolphin or any of our adoption animals.

Click HERE to learn more about NECWA's Marine Wildlife Adoption program.

Northbrook Academy assists NECWA with an ocean sunfish necropsy.

2011-11-20T07:52:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, November 5, 2011, Northbrook Academy parents and students helped staff from the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance (NECWA) examine a dead ocean sunfish that stranded on the shores of Monument Beach. This carcass was recently reported to NECWA’s Ocean Sunfish Stranding Network and the carcass looked as if it was only a few days old.

This ocean fish carcass was missing the majority of its dorsal fin. Since the cut completely severed the top of the dorsal fin, we assume that the injury was the result of a collision with a large vessel. The tissue at the site of the injury was raw and red, indicating that the injury was relatively recent.

Ocean sunfish are the heaviest bony fish in the world and are common visitors to our New England waters, during the summer and fall. These large fish migrate great distances to feed in our cold waters on jellyfish, ctenophores and other gelatinous critters. As winter approaches, ocean sunfish begin their migrations south to spend their winters in warmer, more tropical waters.

Measuring the carcass.

But some individuals become trapped in the arm of Cape Cod. As water temperatures continue to drop, ocean sunfish become cold-stunned and are unable to swim or function normally. Many of these cold-stunned individuals will offshore and wash up on our local beaches.

The death of these beautiful giants is a sad occurrence, but the examination of each carcass provides insights into their biology and ecology. Last year, NECWA responded to over 18 ocean sunfish strandings and now has one of the largest databases on this species. Ocean sunfish that strand alive are pushed back into the water. Those that strand dead are studied and examined in order to further our knowledge of these unique coastal pelagic fish.

One piece of information that NECWA is now able to collect is the total body weight of each carcass. With the help of colleagues David Clapp and Sam McGee, NECWA created a portable weighing tripod that can be broken down and then re-assembled on a beach. Hanging from the center of the tripod is an electronic crane scale that provides an accurate body weight.

Northbrook parent, Chip, and Krill work to secure the carcass.

Northbrook parents and students were instrumental in helping NECWA examine and weigh this carcass. The team first weighed the carcass when it was partially submerged. Fearing that the water was interferring with the collection of an accurate weight measurement, it was decided to relocate the carcass to higher ground and re-weigh this fish.

Team effort in moving this carcass to a better location.

Northbrook Academy students and parents as well as local residents
helping NECWA staff relocate the carcass to higher ground.

After relocating the carcass, the teamed weighed this ocean sunfish once again and we were able to collect a weight of 650 pounds! This is the heaviest ocean sunfish carcass that NECWA has weighed so far using this portable tripod apparatus.

Northbrook Academy parent Chip, Krill and Foster
working on the tripod.

Foster and Jessica helping Krill with the tripod.

Northbrook Academy student Jessica and Lindsay helping out.

Northbrook parents Stuart and Chip helping rig the carcass.

Stuart adjusting the straps on the tripod.

As the team continued their efforts, Belinda experimented with tags in an attempt to find a tag that we could use in the future on live ocean sunfish that NECWA relocates to deeper water. Unfortunately, the dorsal fin of this animal was too thick for the tags that Belinda was using, but even failures like this provide valuable information that will allow us to determine the best tag for this species.

Krill and Belinda experimenting with tags.

Krill and Belinda then worked together to begin the internal examination of this animal. By cutting through the thin skin and then the thick reticulated collagen, they were able to access the reproductive tissues to determine that this individual was a female.

Cutting through the thick reticulated collagen.

Krill trying to locate the sex organ.

Ovary removed from this ocean sunfish.

Ocean sunfish have one gonad (reproductive organ) so they either have one ovary or one teste. The ovary of this fish was quite large and contained thousands of eggs.

Foster examining the whole ovary of this carcass.

Sections ovary.

Sectioned ovary of the ocean sunfish.

Next the team worked together to examine the animal’s internal structures and they determined that this animal was a female. The team also collected a series of tissues, including a section of the vertebra that will be used for aging studies.

As Krill continued examining the internal structures of this animal, Belinda and Foster worked together to remove the large and beautiful eye of this animal.

The eye of this beautiful species.

Belinda and her son Foster
working together to examine the eye.

Examining the eye of the ocean sunfish.

Krill, Belinda and Patty, all volunteer staff members with NECWA, want to thank Northbrook Academy parents and students for their amazing help and assistance. This was truly a team effort and it was one of the most successful necropsies NECWA has accomplished to date. Thanks to Patty from NECWA and Chip Warburton from Northbrook Academy for the amazing photos collected during the necropsy.

Dead ocean sunfish under tripod.

Krill lifting the sunfish with the chain lift.

Fall Newsletter from NECWA - Read all about it!

2011-11-11T14:14:00.000-08:00

Click HERE to read our Fall NECWA Newsletter.

Beach Cleanup at Scusset Beach - A huge success!

2011-11-03T19:31:00.001-07:00

On October 29, 2011, NECWA teamed up with Captain John Whale Watching and Fishing Tours and the Department of Conservation and Recreation to cleanup Scusset Beach. This cleanup effort was part of COASTSWEEP, the Commonwealth’s annual coastal cleanup program that is organized by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management and the Urban Harbors Institute of the University of Massachusetts Boston. Last year, over 2,900 COASTSWEEP volunteers collected over 20,000 pounds of trash from beaches, marshes, rivers, ponds, and the seafloor.

At 9 am, eleven volunteers met at Scusset Beach, a beautiful beach located within the Scusset Beach State Reservation on Cape Cod Bay. Everyone was bundled in hats and gloves, as it was mostly cloudy with increasing winds. Equipped with trash bags, gloves and data sheets, volunteers ventured onto the beach in pairs or trios looking for a variety of marine debris. Each piece of trash or debris that was collected was logged into the data sheet and all data will be sent to Coastsweep.

Volunteers found several interesting debris items, including firework containers and many plastic sewer filter discs. The plastic sewer discs were likely carried many miles from New Hampshire, where a sewer plant accidently released thousands of filter discs earlier this year. By recording this information and categorizing all debris, we can learn what types of trash or debris are found most often and we can possibly think of ways to reduce specific types of marine debris.

We were once again delighted to work with John DeCosta from the Department of Conservation and Recreation. John drove a DEC 4 X 4 mini rover up and down the beach, transporting large pieces of debris or heavy bags filled by each volunteer team. We’d like to thank John for his time and for all of his help with this cleanup effort. His great sense of humor keep us all laughing and moving forward.

Thanks also to Ronnie Hunter from Captain John Boats. Ronnie was instrumental in helping set up and tear down our check in area and provided needed supplies for the collection of the debris. We couldn't have done this clean up activity without his support and the support of Captain John Boats.

After combing almost a mile of shoreline, we weighed all of the collected debris. Volunteers managed to cleanup 109 pounds of debris from Scusset Beach. Great job everyone! At the end of the cleanup, volunteers chatted and enjoyed a great lunch of sandwiches, chips and drinks.

On behalf of the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance, Captain John Boats and the Department of Conservation and Recreation, we’d like to thank everyone for their time and efforts. It’s amazing to see what a small group can accomplish in just a couple of hours and we thank you for taking the time to cleanup one of our local beaches.

We look forward to seeing you all again next fall for another beach cleanup! Thanks again to everyone joined us this past Saturday and who helped clean up Scusset Beach!

Beach Cleanup Saturday, October 29th is a GO!

2011-10-28T00:44:00.000-07:00

Update: Beach Clean up for this Saturday is a go! Please check this blog for any changes due to weather. Hope to see you on the beach!

SCUSSET BEACH – Join the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance, Capt. John Boats and the Department of Conservation and Recreation from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, working together to clean up Scusset Beach, located within the Scusset Beach State Reservation. The rain date is from 9 to 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 30.

This cleanup effort is part of Coastsweep, the commonwealth’s annual coastal cleanup program that is organized by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management and the Urban Harbors Institute of UMass Boston. Last year, more than 2,900 Coastsweep volunteers collected in excess of 20,000 pounds of trash from beaches, marshes, rivers, ponds and the seafloor.

NECWA and Coastsweep will provide all the necessary supplies, including protective gloves, garbage bags and data sheets for this cleanup effort.

After the event, cleanup participants are invited to enjoy drinks and snacks and NECWA will raffle off a number of nature-related items like T-shirts and DVDs to thank everyone for helping out.

For additional information, call Tammy Silva, NECWA staff member and CJB naturalist, at 508-410-9749 or email tsilva1620@yahoo.com.

Studying bizarre-looking ocean sunfish | CapeCodOnline.com

2011-10-26T15:26:00.000-07:00

Studying bizarre-looking ocean sunfish | CapeCodOnline.com

Mola rescue on October 22, 2011 in Wellfleet Harbor

2011-10-24T05:02:00.000-07:00

The Sunfish Sisters!

Ocean Sunfish Rescue in Wellfleet Harbor off Mayo Beach - Saturday, October 22, 2011

(Please read Nancy's story about an ocean sunfish rescue after Krill's message)

Message from Krill:

On Saturday, October 22, 2011, I was whale watching offshore when I received a call from CT, a good friend with IFAW's Marine Mammal Rescue Program. CT had just received a report about an ocean sunfish in dangerously shallow water just off Mayo Beach, Wellfleet Harbor. The caller was very concerned that this sunfish was in jeopardy of stranding and her concern was justified.

Since I was offshore and would not be able to assist, I asked CT if the caller could push the ocean sunfish back into deeper water, but only if conditions were safe for the person. That was the last I heard about this situation until I got back to the dock late that afternoon and listened to a cell phone message from the Wellfleet Police Department. They had left a message about this same ocean sunfish and provided the person's contact information.

I immediately called the number and spoke to Nancy, one of the 3 beach walkers that had successfully rescued the ocean sunfish in question. As I listened to Nancy describe the situation, I was impressed with the effort by this trio and was amazed at how much time they had spent in the water (in October), in an effort to get the sunfish back into deeper water. People like Nancy, her sister Kay and their friend Jay are truly amazing human beings. They redeem my faith in mankind. Not many people would have taken the time and effort to help this fish for in many people's minds, it is "only a fish." But they did act and their actions saved one very lucky ocean sunfish!

Thank you Nancy, Kay and Jay for caring enough to get involved and to act. For when the tide is going out, acting fast is the most critical part of any rescue effort. Once an ocean sunfish strands on a beach or on a sand flat, their large size and weight limits any rescue effort. But even when an ocean sunfish is in a few inches of water, they are easy to move and float into deeper water.

Nancy's Story:

My sister Katy and I saw him splashing a lot inshore just before low tide a little after 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22. He was between Mayo Beach and Powers Landing. We walked him out in the direction of the breakwater trying to get him as close to the channel as we could. Jay Allison from WCAI joined our efforts. Jay was taller than us, which was important because the sunfish had to be about 7 feet from top of the dorsal fin to the bottom of the anal fin. Overall, this ocean sunfish was probably 5 feet in length.

He did keep re-orienting himself towards the beach, but we tried to keep him headed out towards the deeper water. Once we got him out in water that was up to my neck (I am 5'3"), we pushed him out towards the deeper water. Then I could not touch the bottom anymore and we lost sight of him near the bottom. By this time the tide was coming in, so hopefully he was in deep enough water to not get into more trouble. It took close to an hour and a half to do this, and his eye kept moving and looking - and he was moving his fins, too. Fingers crossed!

I just read the article in the Cape Codder - and am so glad that we all took the time to help the ocean sunfish!

BEACH CLEANUP AT SCUSSET BEACH - Saturday, October 29th at 9 am to 11 am

2011-10-22T19:18:00.000-07:00

New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance (NECWA) / Captain John Whale Watching and Fishing Tours announce …

BEACH CLEANUP AT SCUSSET BEACH - Please join us!

Date: Saturday, October 29th

Time: 9 am to 11 am

Location: Scusset Beach within the Scusset Beach State Reservation

For the past six years, the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance (NECWA), Captain John Whale Watching and Fishing Tours and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) have teamed up to conduct a fall beach cleanup at Scusset Beach. This cleanup effort is part of COASTSWEEP, the Commonwealth’s annual coastal cleanup program that is organized by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management and the Urban Harbors Institute of the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Last year, over 2,900 COASTSWEEP volunteers collected over 20,000 pounds of trash from beaches, marshes, rivers, ponds, and the seafloor.

Join NECWA, Captain John Boats and DCR on Saturday, October 29th from 9 am to 11 am as we work together to cleanup Scusset Beach located within the Scusset Beach State Reservation. Our rain date is Sunday, October 30, 2011 from 9 am - 11 am. Check the NECWA News blog (necwanews.blogspot.com) for updates on this event.

The public is invited to participate in this cleanup effort. Let’s have fun spending time walking the beach and making Scussett Beach free from marine debris. NECWA and COASTSWEEP will provide all the necessary supplies including protective gloves, garbage bags and data sheets for this cleanup effort.

After the event, cleanup participants are invited to join us for drinks and snacks. And NECWA will raffle off a number of nature-related items like t-shirts and DVDs to thank everyone for joining us.

For additional information, please contact:

Tammy Silva

NECWA Staff Member

508-410-9749

tsilva1620@yahoo.com

Additional Links and Contacts:

NECWAwebsite at necwa.org and our NECWA News Blog at necwanews.blogspot.com

Captain John Boats website

DCR at Scusset Beach

Coastsweep at coastsweep.umb.edu or call the Urban Harbors Institute at 617-287-5570

Strandings provide rare close-up glimpse of the odd ocean sunfish

2011-10-22T19:12:00.000-07:00

Strandings provide rare close-up glimpse of the odd ocean sunfish

Zoom

Photos

Photo courtesy of "Krill" Carson

Mass Audubon seasonal researcher Tempe Regan is about to do a post-mortem on this ocean sunfish in Truro on Oct. 5.

By Rich Eldred

Cape Codder

Posted Oct 14, 2011 @ 07:29 PM

TRURO —

The inner arm of Cape Cod Bay is not only bad news for whales. Dolphins and sea turtles – it’s the end of the line for many an ocean sunfish as well.

The ocean sunfish is a large (up to 5,000 pound) flattened orbicular shaped fish with large dorsal and anal fins but virtually no tail fin. The reduced tailfin serves merely as a rudder while the other two fins proved the power. They’re often taller (up to 14 feet) than they are long (up to 10 feet). They’ll float near the surface, perhaps sunning themselves, with their large dorsal fin breaking the surface.

The Mola mola (its memorable scientific name) sports a beak-like mouth used for chewing up jellyfish and other similar gelatinous creatures.
Since there are a lot of jellyfish adrift in New England waters they aren’t uncommon offshore but few people have ever seen one alive.

One person who has seen a lot of sunfish is Carol “Krill” Carson, of Middleboro who founded the volunteer New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance in 2005. Her New England Basking Shark Project is dedicated to collecting sighting and stranding information on both basking sharks and ocean sunfish.

“That’s another large fish nobody knows anything about,” Carson said. “I thought wouldn’t it be nice if we could create a sighting network. The more eyes we have the more we can learn.”

The slow swimming sunfish arrive from the tropics in mid-summer and begin washing ashore right about now.

“They start (stranding) around late August and continue till early December, with September/October/November the highlight,” she reported. “They come in before the torpedo rays and sea turtles. We see them offshore feeding on jellyfish and for some reason they start to strand this time of year.”

They don’t seem cold-stunned like the sea turtles nor are they ill like dolphins. Perhaps they are feeding too close to shore. Carson often suggests people re-route them back out to sea.

“They get themselves in a bad position and the tide goes out,” she said. “When they’re high and dry they’re impossible to move. But in even a couple of inches of water you can move them easily. They are like saucers.”

The fish that wash up on Cape Cod Bay are smaller than those 2-ton giants. Carson suspects they are juveniles, much like the sea turtles that strand.

“Two weeks ago a couple called from Indian Neck [in Wellfleet]. I live in Middleboro and they said an ocean sunfish was stranding. I asked ‘Is it high tide yet?’ And told them ‘If it is safe you just push it back in,’ and they did,” Carson recalled. “They saved it because they caught it before it stranded.”

One sunfish discovered in Truro Oct. 5, wasn’t as lucky. The people who reported it to Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary thought it was a dead sea turtle. Carson arrived the do a necropsy and collect data. Another one turned up in Sandwich over the weekend. Carson has recorded eight so far this year. Last year she was able to rescue two and necropsied 18.

“I think a lot are funneled into the bay side of the Cape,” Carson said. “They should be moving south like everything. They’re more tropical fish.”

It isn’t that easy collecting data, weighing the fish is a problem.

“I’ve learned how to measure them, photographed them, sexed them, and I’m collecting tissue samples in my freezer at home. I was contacted by a researcher in England who wanted samples so he could compare DNA so I sent him 26 samples,” Carson said. “David Clapp and Sam McGee are helping by creating a portable tri-pod with a crane scale to get weight measurements. It’s sort of a fun project. It’s true science.”

One thing surprised Carson. While sunfish are classified as the heaviest boney fish in the sea she can cut through any part of the animal. Including the skull, with a basic knife.

“They’re more cartilaginous than anything else,” she noted.

She’s learned to age them by counting the rings in the vertebrae.
Anyone who encounters an ocean sunfish on the beach, dead or alive, is urged to call Carson.

“I did two ocean sunfish yesterday and because they were sitting on the beach so long everything was decomposed,” she said. “The faster I get to the beach the better it is.”

Ocean Sunfish Sightings and Strandings

2011-10-03T03:40:00.000-07:00

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/A-Note-from-New-England-Coastal-Wildlife-Alliance.html?soid=1101909067888&aid=NHwjMXItZ9k

September 15, 2011 - Ocean Sunfish Rescue in Wellfleet

2011-09-16T19:04:00.001-07:00

Ocean Sunfish Rescue off Wellfleet Harbor - Jan Albaum and Harry Cerino

Note from Krill: Not very often do you meet a couple like Jan Albaum and Harry Cerino. They were so concerned about an ocean sunfish that was in the process of stranding off their beach, that they didn't take "no" for an answer. With persistence, they talked to someone who gave them my phone number and this allowed Jan and I to connect.

When Jan called me, I was teaching a Biology laboratory at Bridgwater State University. While the students were working on the lab, I listened to Jan's story about a sunfish that was stranding, as we spoke, just off her beach. The animal was still in a few inches of water so time was of the essence.

Never having met Jan or Harry, I had no idea if they could do what was needed to save this animal. But with a leap of faith, I asked them to push the ocean sunfish back into deep water if they could do so safely.

Not many people would have heeded my instructions, for ocean sunfish are an odd and unusual looking fish. And they have lots of slim covering their bodies, making the idea of touching them very unappetizing. But Jan and Harry stepped up to the plate and did what was needed to save this animal. They pushed the sunfish into deep water and stayed with it until it swam away. Their dedication and fast action saved this animal. If the ocean sunfish had stranded high and dry, they would not have been able to move it and it would have died a slow and certain death.

I love people like Jan and Harry for I admire their spirit, their love of all things wild and their tenacity and perseverance. They saved this animal even though they had never undertaken anything like this before. They listened to my instructions and words of encouragement and they proceeded on their own and by themselves. The joy they must have felt when they saw the sunfish swim away must have been overwhelming.

People like Jan and Harry redeem my faith in mankind and they remind me of the power of the human will and the strength of the human spirit. They cared enough about another creature to try and try they did. I hope I get a chance to meet Jan and Harry in the future for they are one amazing couple.

Best to you both and thank you for caring enough to act, Krill

From Jan Albaum:

A few days ago my husband Harry Cerino and I had never heard of an Ocean Sunfish. Harry saw one for the first time when he was taking photographs off of Wellfleet town pier and a fisherman told him what it was. We had never seen a fish swimming the distinctive way that Sunfish did.

Then yesterday morning over early coffee on the front deck where we were staying on Indian Neck right near Burton Baker Beach, we were looking out towards Great Island and saw that distinctive fin of another Sunfish come around a jetty for about a ½ hour. It was swimming parallel to the shoreline and it got caught in a strong combination of ½ tide rising and onshore bay wind and it got beached in shallow water right in front of us. It was not the same fish as the day before, its fin had a clear notch in it.

No one was around during this off-season time and we felt alone and helpless. I first called Wellfleet Audubon but the director wasn’t there and it felt like there wasn’t time to wait for a call back. Audubon gave me some other numbers to try and I next left a message with Krill Carson (who I learned was an expert on Sunfish) and then spoke with someone from IFAW Marine Mammal Stranding and at the Wellfleet Harbor Master office. They said once it got beached and was out of water it was unlikely that there was anything that could be done. This was discouraging to hear. We did not want to give up on this poor living creature and had run out of people to call.

Fortunately Krill called back in just a few minutes. She said based on my description it was a young fish (but it must have weighed a few hundred pounds), that we should definitely try to push it out into open waters, and that we needed to act fast. Her encouragement made all the difference to us. Krill told me to try to find some gloves to get a better grip on its slimy skin and that it wouldn’t hurt us. It was on its side, barely covered with water, flapping it fins but not able to get free from the sand. It was about a 15 minute struggle but we finally dislodged the fish and pushed it into water we thought was deep enough. But it still wasn’t enough for it to right itself and even when we got it out further it was still horizontal. So we kept pushing it deeper and deeper until finally it could get vertical.

Once in that position it floated there for a while barely under the surface. Its large sad eye stared at us. Finally it became more aware that it was in deeper water. In another moment or two it flapped it fins and swam off. We watched its dorsal fin as it rounded back around the jetty. The only thing that we could do was clap and cheer as it swam off into Wellfleet Bay. No one saw what we had done and we were encouraged on by a disembodied voice on our mobile phone but it all felt quite wonderful.

Jan Albaum and Harry Cerino

Philadelphia

Sunday, September 11, 2011 Seabird & Whale Tales Excursion

2011-09-10T05:50:00.000-07:00

Date: Sunday, September 11, 2011

Trip Duration: 10 am to 6 pm

Boarding Time: 9:30 am

Boarding Location: Town Wharf, Plymouth MA

Trip Status as of Sunday, September 11, 2011: Good morning. The trip is a GO! We have a great marine forecast and all is ready for an amazing day of wildlife viewing. Please be down at the Town Wharf ready to board by 9:30 am. It will be wonderful to see you again. Best, Krill

Tickets are still available. If you want to join us, go to our Constant Contact Event Website (click here) and register online. Pay through PayPal on that site or bring a check/cash with you to the boats and give to Krill when boarding. But everyone must register through the website.

Ticket Price Update: Tickets are still available so spread the word if you know anyone who may be interested in joining us offshore. Due to power interruptions caused by Hurricane Irene, the ticket price will be frozen at the $90 level.

Galley: Our galley will have lots of great food for purchase. Breakfast items include: muffins, donuts and bagels. Lunch items include home cooked foods such as chili and chicken noodle soup. We will have deli sandwiches including turkey, roast beef and ham. You can also bring your own food, but please no alcohol or glass containers of any type.

Marine Forecast: (You can never believe them!) Continue to check here for any additional updates. The only reason we will cancel the trip is due to extreme weather and the decision to cancel is made by the captain either the day before the trip or the morning of.

Marine forecast for Stellwagen Bank - click HERE

Free Onboard Raffle: We will once again be offering our free onboard raffle of items with a nature theme. If anyone would like to donate a photo, or a new/gently used item to the raffle table, that would be wonderful. Just give the item to Krill as you board the boat.

Thank you for your continued support and interest in our all day trips. We expect another fabulous day offshore filled with amazing sightings of seabirds, whales and other unique coastal marine wildlife. And we look forward to seeing you once again and spending some quality time offshore.

Feel free to call or email using the contact information below.

Sincerely, Krill

Krill Carson

New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance (NECWA)

krillcarson@mac.com

cell: 508 566-0009

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

2011-09-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

First Ocean Sunfish Necropsy of the 2011 Season

Conducted at the Seacoast Science Center in Rye, New Hampshire

On Monday morning, I received a call from Steve Engstrom, Senior Aquarist at the Seacoast Science Center in Rye, NH. Steve informed me that a small ocean sunfish had stranded on the shores of the Science Center just the other day. He had heard that NECWA was interested in ocean sunfish sightings and strandings and so had tracked me down.

I was very excited to hear about this fish and made arrangements to drive up to Rye the next day and lead a necropsy with the help of the Science Center's staff and volunteers. And Leah, one of our long-term staff members, was going to assist with the necropsy as well. This would be Leah's second ocean sunfish dissection. Her first was last December 5th when we necropsied the largest ocean sunfish we had ever seen. This fish stranded on the shores of Mants Beach in Brewster MA. This recent fish in NH would be a stark contrast to the huge carcass we examined in 2010.

Staff and volunteers looking on.

When we arrived at the Seacoast Science Center, we met Karen, Nikki and Steve as well as lots of other staff and volunteers. There must have been over 20 people in attendance as many were eager to examine this unusual fish in more detail. We noticed one other person in attendance who had very colorful boots. Time for a fun "boot" photo!

Steve and his son watching the proceedings.

Fun and wacky boots!

It was clear that this was a small fish that could be picked up by 3 or 4 people. So we decided to load the fish in my truck and bring it to Seaport Seafood Market to have it weighed. The staff of Seaport Seafood Market were wonderful and really into this very unusual and stinky fish. The carcass weighed 170 pounds and this was very exciting since this is the first accurate weight we have collected from any of our carcasses.

Weighing our ocean sunfish.

Seaport Seafood Market, Rye NH

Most of the time, we are necropsying ocean sunfish carcasses that have washed ashore on isolated beaches of Cape Cod. Getting any type of weight measurement on these carcasses is impossible since the animals are too big to carry back to the parking lot and most beaches do not allow vehicle access. So this weight was a thrill for all of us and helps to fill in a gap in our data set.

Collecting external body measurements.

Jason collecting external body measurements.

One of the Center's staff, Jason, was very interested in assisting with the necropsy in a hands-on manner. Jason has done many necropsies of seals and other marine wildlife, but never an ocean sunfish. Always great to work with someone who is really "into" the necropsies and who gets "into" the work at hand. And these fish really smell, especially after a few days on the shore.

Measuring the length of the animal.

Measuring the girth of the animal.

So with Leah and Jason by my side, we started the process of photographing the carcass and documenting any unusual external features. When we started the necropsy, we worked with the carcass with its left side up. From this side, we saw one extensive cut through the dorsal fin indicating a possible boat strike.

But when we flipped the animal over on its right side, we observed a series of propellor cuts along the dorsal surface of the animal as well as lower sections of the dorsal fin. Now it became more clear that a possible boat strike was the cause of this animal's demise. We then collected skin and muscle tissue for future genetic analysis and examined internal organs for parasites and injuries.

Carcass now left side up.

Propellor scars on the right side of the animal's body.

We collected quite a few photographs to document the propellor scars and other body features visible on the outside of the animal. After taking a number of body measurements, it was time to sample and examine the animal internally.

Testes of the ocean sunfish.

Our first order of business was to determine the sex of the fish. This animal turned out to be a boy for we found the testes just posterior to the digestive tract. As we continued to open up the animal, we realized that this carcass had only a thin layer of reticulated collagen under the thin, rough skin. The function of the reticulated collagen is not clear, but what is clear is that this material completely wraps around the body of the animal. This is why I refer to ocean sunfish as the "ocean coconut of the sea!"

We worked methodically through the animal's digestive tract and measured as many organs as possible. Staff and volunteers with the Seacoast Science Center did a wonderful job of transcribing the data and taking the majority of the photographs.

Nematodes (roundworms) in the liver.

As we continued our internal examination, we observed that the liver had quite a few nematodes (roundworms) visible on the external surface and some were clearly embedded in the inner tissue. This is not unusual for ocean sunfish as they carry a large parasite load not only internally, but also externally.

Measuring the length of the entire digestive tract.

When examining the digestive tract, we unraveled the entire tract to measure its length and boy was it long. We also cut into the stomach to look for any type of blockage and to see if we could discover and identify any prey items. As in most of the carcasses we examine, we found nothing to suggest cause of death nor did we find any jellyfish or other gelatinous critters lodged in the digestive tract.

Knife is pointing to the pharyngeal teeth of the ocean sunfish.

Pharyngeal teeth of the ocean sunfish

We examined a number of internal organs including the heart, eyes, gills and throat. In the throat, we found the pharyngeal teeth that come in a set and are located on the upper part of the throat or pharynx. These hard, pointy structure are used to help keep slimy jellyfish, ctenophores and other gelatinous critters down after swallowing. It is interesting that one set of pharyngeal teeth had 3 rows of teeth while the other had only 2 rows.

Ocean sunfish eye.

Gills of the ocean sunfish with parasites.

We were also able to collect the entire vertebral column, another first for us today. By the end of the session, we had a large collection of data, tissue samples and photographs from this carcass. All of this data will be added to the NEBShark database in an effort to better understand this the largest of all the bony marine fish.

Collecting the vertebrae.

Marine food chain model.

After we cleaned up from the necropsy, Leah and I spent some time exploring the Science Center. One of the most impressive displays is the skeleton of a humpback whale that hangs down from the ceiling. This whale is Tofu, the young female whale that was hit by a boat just a few years ago. Captain Jonny Dennen and I found Tofu floating dead on the southwest corner of Stellwagen Bank two years ago. I assisted with the necropsy of this whale that was conducted in the Bourne landfill and the bones found their final resting place in the Seacoast Science Center.

Skeleton of Tofu, the humpback whale.

It is very sad when a known humpback whale is killed offshore. We had been watching Tofu for many weeks before her death and she was a beautiful animal. Her ventral tail pattern was very white and that is how she received her name, Tofu. But seeing her skeleton displayed so majestically from the ceiling reminded me that her death was not a waste. Not only did we learn much during the actual necropsy, but we also collected a lot of tissue and organ samples for many scientists around the world. And her bones remind others of the immense size and wonder of these rare and endangered marine animals.

A model of Tofu's beautiful ventral tail pattern.

After our tour, Leah and I decided to call it a day. We were very tired, but still "flying high" after a full day of adventure and exploration. It is good to be a biologist and to find wonder in such an unusual and not well understood fish. And we made many new friends today in New Hampshire and look forward to future collaborations.

Trip Report from our June 12, 2011 Seabird & Whale Tales Excursion

2011-08-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

Trip Summary Report from our Spring Seabird & Whale Tales Excursion.

June 12, 2011 from 8 am to 4 pm

Click HERE

to read Wayne Petersen's wonderful summary and to view the species list and count.

Watch our slide show above of images taken from our June 2011 SAWT trip. Enjoy!

Thank you from all of us at NECWA. We had a great time and we hope you did as well. Hope to see you in September for our fall SAWT trip!

Two mother and calf pairs crossing paths right off our bow!

2011-08-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

An amazing look at two mother and calf pairs that collide with one another as both moms are feeding at the surface. On the 2 pm whale watching trip aboard the Tails of the Sea, a luxury commercial whale watching boat owned and operated by Captain John Boats, we watch in amazement as two humpback mother and calf pairs cross paths right off our bow!

Ganesh and her calf are coming towards our boat as they surface feed off the bow. This pair runs smack dab into Venom and her calf who are also feeding at the surface, but off our port side.

What a commotion as moms and kids run into one another! But true to form, these humpback mom's keep their cool and keep on truckin! Venom and calf move continue to feed our bow as they head to the north and Ganesh and calf continue to feed as they move off our port side heading to the southeast.

Tagging program uncovers new whale tales in Plymouth

2011-08-05T16:21:00.000-07:00

Tagging program uncovers new whale tales in Plymouth

Entanglement in monofilament line - Rapier's 2009 calf

2011-08-03T08:17:00.001-07:00

Whale Watch Trip on Saturday, July 30th aboard the Tails of the Sea, a commercial whale watching boat owned and operated by Captain John Whale Watching and Fishing Tours.

Entanglement of Rapier's 2009 calf with thin, monofilament line.

Posted by Krill Carson

We had a beautiful day offshore with clear skies and relatively calm seas. As we crossed over the southern part of Stellwagen Bank, we found a cluster of humpback whales scattered throughout the area.

Our first close sighting was a small whale that was a bit active. This whale was rolling on its left side and flicking its tail out of the water. We didn't think much about this active behavior since a number of other whales were breaching sporadically in the area. But when I looked back over my photos, I realized that this whale had monofilament draped over its back.

Monofilament is used by rod and reel fishermen offshore as they try to catch striped bass, cod, haddock and other medium-sized fish. It is also used by fisherman who are trying to catch giant bluefin tuna. The issue with monofilament is that it is clear and very difficult to see. This observation is a case in point. I didn't realize that the whale had snagged monofilament line until a few days later when I sat down at my computer and went over each sighting with a fine tooth comb.

We were able to identify this small humpback as Rapier's 2009 calf. This young whale does not have a name yet, but it has been seen quite a lot offshore this season. This young animal is easy to identify even from a distance for it was hit by a boat's propellors on its tail stock when a young calf. Luckily the wounds healed, but the tell tale sign of this encounter is quite evident.

I emailed the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies disentanglement team to let them know what I had discovered and sent them a number of photographs that clearly show the monofilament line. It appears that the line is snagged on the left side of the whale's head and low down. And the line does extend beyond the fluke of the whale, though it is not clear how far.

The PCCS team is offshore this morning and will be looking for Rapier's 2009 calf. There are a number of other animals that have also been seen with monofilament on their bodies including Canopy's calf of this year and Reflection. Right now, both are reported to have shed the monofilament which is great. But these types of entanglements remind us of the dangers that our whales face when they come to feed off Stellwagen Bank.

Unlike ropes or thick line, monofilament is very thin and often clear, making it difficult if not impossible to see. If this material were to wrap around the flipper or tail stock of the animal, it is not clear how the animal would shed it and it is not clear what negative impacts the line would have on the animal's health and well being.

Issues pertaining to whales and fishing ropes and lines are currently being addressed by fisherman and managers. But issues related to whales getting caught or snagged on monofilament line from small recreational or commercial vessels fishing in the areas were whales are traveling or feeding is not being addressed on the same level. We need to investigate this issue more and we need to act now or many other whales, both large and small, will undergo the same fate as Rapier's 2009 calf.

We assume that Rapier's 2009 calf will shed this gear like the other whales have done so far this season. But the fact that a number of humpback whales are getting snagged by monofilament line is alarming and we need to investigate this issue.

Thanks to Captain John Boats for all their assistance in this sighting and to the researchers and the disentanglement team at the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies including Dr. Jooke Robbins and Scott Landry.

Seabird & Whale Tales excursion - Sunday, September 11, 2011

2011-07-08T05:56:00.000-07:00

Seabird & Whale Tales excursion - an all day marine wildlife experience!

Join us for our upcoming marine wildlife excursion on Sunday, September 11th from 10 am to 6 pm.

Our Seabird & Whale Tale excursion is an annual fundraising event and provides unique opportunities to view seabirds, whales, dolphins, seals, basking sharks and ocean sunfish in the waters off Cape Cod.

Leave from the Town Wharf in Plymouth at 10 am and head to the waters off Cape Cod to view a variety of coastal marine wildlife.

Enjoy the ride as we head offshore aboard the Tails of the Sea, a luxury whale watching vessel owned and operated by Captain John Boats (www.captjohn.com).

Have fun listening to our guest naturalists including Wayne Petersen, David Clapp, Jim Sweeney and Dr. John Jahoda.

To learn more about this trip or to register and pay for this event, go to our Constant Contact's Events link at http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=qdcmohcab&oeidk=a07e48zclcrf2e2a89b

Seal Rescue at the Cape Cod Canal

2011-07-07T19:30:00.000-07:00

Text contributed by NECWA staff member Ann Cook. Photos by Robyn Perry.

On July 2, 2011, the United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) stationed at the Cape Cod Canal received a call about a stranded seal that appeared to be a juvenile gray seal. This seal had been reported to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) the day before and IFAW staff had come down to the Canal to assess the animal's condition. At that time, IFAAW determined that the seal was healthy and in good condition.

However, on this first Saturday in July, a large wake from a boat had thrown the seal against the rip rap and stunned her. Ann Cook contacted Krill from NECWA asking for advice. Krill recommended a second call to IFAW updating them on the change in the seal's status.

IFAW recommended that the seal be rescued due to this change in the health of the animal. The first Rangers on scene were Gabe Lundgren, Ann Cook, Roger Hagen, and USACE Park Attendants, Robyn and Lin Perry. This team successfully crated the young seal and transported it to the IFAW rehabilitation facility.

IFAW staff called back to indicate that this was a female gray seal that was pupped earlier this season. So they estimated her age to be around 6 months. She was doing well in rehab and they congratulated the team for their quick and successful actions saying that this was the best thing that could happen for the seal under the circumstances.

Congratulations to all that helped with this rescue. Team effort, good attention and quick action are key to a successful rescue for any marine mammal. Great work team!

Sighting of Ocean Sunfish

2011-07-07T04:07:00.000-07:00

On the afternoon of July 4th, a local fisherman spotted an ocean sunfish, Mola mola, 150 feet off the entrance to the Waquoit Bay jetty. From all observations, the fish was in good health and was swimming slowly at the surface. This "easy going" behavior allowed the fisherman to get some fabulous photographs of this strange and wonderful fish.

This sighting is the first one that has been reported to NECWA this season! NECWA has a community-sighting network for ocean sunfish and basking sharks called NEBShark (New England Basking Shark Project) and we ask all interested members of the community to report sightings of live or dead animals offshore or on the beach.

Information from NEBShark will be used to better understand the biology and life history of the ocean sunfish and the basking shark, two large, coastal pelagic fish that feed off New England each spring, summer and fall. And the data collected from the sighting network combined with information collected during strandings will be shared with other researchers in the US and abroad to advance our knowledge even further.

Last season, NECWA staff and interns responded to two live strandings of ocean sunfish and 18 incidents of dead stranded animals. No one knows why ocean sunfish strand along our Cape Cod beaches each season, but we hope our efforts will help to answer this question.

June 27th whale watch aboard the Captain John Boats

2011-06-28T07:49:00.001-07:00

An exciting day of wildlife observation aboard the Captain John Whale Watching boat. Coral, a humpback whale provided an exciting view of lunge feeding and straining as sooty shearwaters flitted across the water sharing in the feast of bait being pushed to the surface by bluefin tuna.

Also in the area was a handful of Minke whales, smallest of all the baleen whales. Please join us as we look forward to seeing you and sharing these wonderful experiences off our coastal waters with Captain John Boats and our crew.

June 18, 2011

2011-06-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

9 am whale watch on the Tails of the Sea with Nick

Nick and Leah had a fabulous day offshore with feeding humpback whales aboard the Tails of the Sea, a commercial whale watching vessel owned and operated by Captain John Boats. Thank you Captain John for making positions available for our interns aboard your whale watching boats. What a great experience and opportunity.

And thanks Nick for a great job on recording these types of behaviors from very endangered and rare animals. Great job!

Seabird & Whale Tales excursion

2011-06-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

Update on June 12, 2011 at 6 am:

As of this morning, the trip is still a go. It will be a wet day so please dress appropriately.

Again, we plan on heading down the backside of the Cape since this is where the majority of the whales and seabirds have been sighted. Yesterday, there were great sightings of humpbacks and seabirds just off Highland Light. The word from the captain was that the whales, seabirds and the bait were moving to the north! Yeah!

We ask that all registrants please meet down at the Town Wharf in Plymouth by 7:30 am. We need to leave the dock by 8 am sharp for we need to be back at the dock by 4 pm sharp.

Call our Trip Manager, Krill Carson (508-566-0009) if you have any problems or concerns tomorrow morning.

Dress for the weather (rain and a bit windy).

Best, Krill Carson
President, NECWA
508-566-0009

May 7, 2011

2011-05-08T04:50:00.000-07:00

Jesse's Marine - Yard Sale with a marine theme

Today NECWA staff and interns teamed up with Captain John Whale Watching and Fishing Tours (www.captjohn.com) at Jesse's Marine in Plymouth MA for a different kind of yard sale. Jesse's Marine in Plymouth MA sponsored their second annual yard sale with a marine theme. Folks from all over the area participated by offering used or new items of marine related equipment and supplies.

Leah and Nick helped Krill man an educational table that had fun and exciting whale and shark material on it. On display were whale and shark related artifacts including humpback baleen, whales bones, whale teeth and much more. And there was lots of free educational material available for folks to pick up and take home.

One of the favorite activities that Leah and Nick offered was the beach dig. Here kids could dig for fossil teeth in a large bin filled with sand, shells and beach glass. Even the older kids had fun sitting on the grass and getting their hands in the sand as they searched for beach treasure. And everyone got a chance to take a few teeth and shells home with them.

Leah wore her whale hat which was a big hit with the kids. This hat was given to NECWA by Captain John Boats and everyone is in love with it. It is really an orca hat, but what fun it is to wear even though we don't often see orca (killer whales) in our area.

During quite periods, Leah had fun with some kids toys she brought with her. One toy was an air pop gun that shot out spongy balls. Soon, colored balls were flying all over the place as Nick and Leah had fun with an impromptu target practice.

A fun day for everyone who joined NECWA and Captain John Boats at Jesse's Marine. If you missed this year's yard sale, we hope to see you next year!

Salt Presentation and Fun Activities at the New Bedford Whaling Historical Park

2011-04-22T01:06:00.000-07:00

Salt Presentation at the New Bedford Whaling National Park

NECWA staff and interns Krill, Val, Nick and Patty headed down to New Bedford to provide an afternoon of fun and adventure at the Whaling National Park. This is NECWA's second visit to the Whaling National Park and it was fun to reconnect with all the great staff including Rangers and Educational Specialists Emily and Frank.

Before the presentation on Salt, the humpback whale, the adults and children who joined us had fun checking out our educational displays, picking up some educational material and trying their hands at some arts & craft activities.

Nick was our photographer for the event and he also helped to explain many of the bones and samples that were on our display table. Many were amazed at the neat whale and shark artifacts, including humpback baleen, shark jaws and whale bones. And others were shocked to see just how small whale food really can be! We had preserved samples of the most common type of zooplankton and fish that most whales prefer to feed on, and they are very small indeed, but packed with energy and calories.

Val worked her magic once again with her famous arts & craft activity, making an origami whale. Each child or young adult gets to choose their favorite paper design and then they can decorate their final product with stickers, markers and glitter.

Patty was busy with the younger children as she helped them to make their very own model of Salt's fluke. This involves cutting out the tail and then attaching it to a popsicle stick. Many of the children then colored in Salt's tail to make it more interesting and fun.

Next was Krill's PowerPoint presentation on Salt, the most famous humpback whale in the world. And Krill also mentioned the other unique coastal marine wildlife that also come to feed off Cape Cod. Embedded in the presentation were video clips of whales, seals, basking sharks and ocean sunfish. And everyone had fun singing the famous "Salt, the Humpback Whale" song that is incorporated into the program.

After the presentation, Krill and friends inflated Crystal, NECWA's fabric, inflatable whale. Crystal is the creation of NECWA staff member Pat Mancini and is the size and likeness of a one-year old humpback whale. Crystal was the first calf born to Salt in 1980 and Krill and Patty just saw him offshore the other day. Crystal is now a full grown male close to 45 feet in length.

NECWA had a wonderful time at the New Bedford Whaling Historical Park and we hope to return soon. We encourage everyone to stop by the Whaling Historical Park the next time they are in the New Bedford area. Their staff is doing some amazing activities and projects with the youth of New Bedford.

2011-04-14T01:23:00.000-07:00

On April 8th, 2011 Krill, Tammy and Emily were invited up to the MA Division of Marine Fisheries' Annisquam River Marine Fisheries Field Station to meet Scott Elzey and his team (Katie L'Heureux and Kimberly Trull) to discuss possible aging techniques for ocean sunfish, Mola mola.

Since 2005, NECWA has conducted an ocean sunfish project through our NEBShark program. Each fall, over 20 ocean sunfish strand (mostly dead) on Cape Cod beaches. We are not sure why these individuals are stranding, but we do know that ocean sunfish are common visitors to our waters in the summer and early fall. They are attracted into our New England waters due to the high abundance of their favorite prey, jellyfish, ctenophores and other gelatinous zooplankton.

We spent the morning slicing, examining and working with the vertebrae of ocean sunfish that stranded on Cape Cod beaches this past season. We are hoping to use a banding technique similar to what is used for cartilaginous fish and some bony fish.

NECWA responds to as many stranded ocean sunfish as is possible and this season (2010) we helped release two live ocean sunfish and examined 18 dead carcasses. Our examinations involve the collection of photographs, body measurements and tissue sampling. One piece of information that we are hoping to learn is the age of the sunfish that strand each fall on our beaches.

Many species of bony fish are aged using hard, calcified structures in their inner ears called otoliths. A standard practice for aging studies is to collect, stain and section otoliths counting the visible rings to determine the age of the fish. You would think that being classified as the "heaviest bony fish" in the world, the ocean sunfish would have largest, most well-developed otoliths of any species!

Unfortunately, the otoliths that we have collected from carcasses are small and not well developed. Therefore, we are hoping to use an aging technique developed for cartilaginous fish like sharks, skates and rays, since these species do not have otoliths. This technique requires that you section the vertebrae and examine banding patterns that are visible in this tissue.

Scott showed us a number of possible techniques that can be used with vertebrae and encouraged us to experiment with different methods including different ways of sectioning the vertebrae and staining the tissue. We had a lot of fun experimenting with the vertebrae we had collected and discussed the many pros and cons of each technique.

A big thank you to Scott, Katie and Kim for all their help, support and encouragement. We often don't meet professionals in the field that are just excited about this strange species as we are.

One of the amazing things about NECWA's ocean sunfish project is that it exemplifies the process of science and scientific exploration. When trying to learn about the biology and natural history of this very unusual marine fish, there are no easy answers and no guide books. Much of what we have learned to date has come by trial and error and by asking questions (and then more questions). It is "a process" in every sense of the word and a journey that has allowed us to meet some amazing people like Scott, Katie and Kim.

When we left Gloucester for home, are heads were spinning with all the possibilities. But we headed home with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and determination to create a meaningful aging technique for this species. We are looking forward to working on this project in the coming months and seeing what we can develop on our own.

Thanks again for Scott, Katie and Kim for a fun and rewarding Friday. And thanks to Katie for the photos in this posting. We look forward to working with this amazing team once again and to additional collaborations in the future.

First Whale Watch with Captain John Whale Watching and Fishing Tours

2011-03-31T07:51:00.000-07:00

Whale Watching Trip on Saturday, March 26th with Captain John Whale Watching and Fishing Tours.

NECWA interns Tammy and Nick joined Krill for what was the first whale watching trip of the season for Captain John Whale Watching and Fishing Tours (www.captjohn.com) out of Plymouth Harbor.

NECWA would like to take a moment to thank Captain John Whale Watching and Fishing Tours for their continued support of our internship program for high school and college students in the New England area. Their support allows our interns access to the unique marine wildlife off New England. We hope you can support this company by joining them for a whale watch or fishing trip this season. Check out their website to learn more about trips, times and schedules. Go to www.captjohn.com to learn more.

We were treated to bright sunny skies and beautiful view of Plymouth Harbor as we prepared to leave the dock. Excitement was in the air as this was our first trip offshore after being land-locked all winter.

What was really great was the chance to reconnect with good friends and colleagues, including crew members Ron and Steve, Captain Johnny and naturalist extraordinaire Joanne.

As we passed the State Pier, we got a close-up and personal view of the Mayflower II which recently returned from Fairhaven where she has been docked for much of the winter.

And as we moved along Plymouth Beach, we had great views of geese and seaducks including, Brant Geese, Common Eiders and Longtailed Ducks.

As we traveled past the Duxbury Pier Lighthouse, also called Bug Light by local fishermen, we observed quite a few harbor seals resting on the rocks. This is not an uncommon sight in the spring, especially during low tide. Harbor seals are quite abundant in our waters during the winter and early spring. Soon, they will migrate north to pup and continue to feed. But for now, they are very content to enjoy our cold, yet productive waters.

Continuing on our way offshore, we passed Gurnet Point and moved into Cape Cod Bay. Our destination were the waters off Race Point, the tip of Cape Cod. We were hoping to find humpback whales and finback whales that might be feeding just off Race Point or in Cape Cod Bay. At this time of the year, these are often places where whales congregate as they feed close to shore.

This is also the time of year when North Atlantic Right Whales come close to shore to feed on large blooms of plankton. Because this species if the most endangered of all the large baleen whales, federal regulations stipulate that all vessels remain 500 yards away. If a right whale surfaces closer to your vessel than 500 yards, you are required to slowly move out of the area.

To see a right whale is truly a sighting of a lifetime since there are fewer than 450 animals remaining in the western North Atlantic. Using binoculars and cameras with large zoom lenses, one can get a decent look at this amazing species that is so critically endangered. But the best right whale watching is from shore given the federal restrictions. If you have a chance to drive down to Provincetown in the spring, take time to walk the beaches of Herring Cover and Race Point and keep an sharp eye out for whales close to shore, including right whales.

While offshore, we even got a chance to see a flock of razorbills flying in tight formation just off the starboard side of the boat. These cold-water birds are common to our area only in the winter and spring. In a few weeks, most will head further north to breed and feed off Maine and Canada.

As we continued our journey past Race Point, we picked up a harbor seal that was resting at the surface with its nose up in the air. What a great look at a beautiful marine animal that also feeds in our waters this time of the year.

As we sat and watched the seal, we noticed a few fins cutting through the water. These turned out to be dolphins, probably Atlantic white-sided dolphins, the most common dolphin in our area. We also saw smaller, more triangular dorsal fins telling us that the little harbor porpoise was also in the area. The rough seas made it difficult to see the bodies of these small animals, but we did see the dorsal fins cutting through the water.

Nick and Tammy helped Krill collect sighting data and photographs on all the marine wildlife that was seen over the course of the trip. In all, we spotted over 30 right whales that were feeding all along the shores of Cape Cod from inside Cape Cod Bay to the backside of the Cape as far as Highland Light in Truro.

Also in that area were quite a few commercial fishing vessels and a few of these vessels were moving right through the area where right whales were feeding. Captain John Whale Watching and Fishing Tours is very concerned about the safety and future of the right whale population. That is why we strictly adhere to the federal guidelines and regulations for whale watching.

One stipulation is that all mariners are required to report all right whale sightings to the National Marine Fishiers Service (NMFS). So later that day, Krill made the call to the NMFS hotline and provided all of our sightings information to the Right Whale Sighting Advisory System that is run by NMFS. Check out their website at www.nefsc.noaa.gov/psb/surveys.

Unfortunately, we were never able to find humpback whales or finback whales, but we had distant sightings of right whales and great sightings of seals, seabirds, dolphins and porpoises. A few days after this trip, friends of Captain John who live on Cape Cod called to say that humpbacks and finbacks have recently been seen off Race Point. We can't wait to get offshore again for another great adventure with some of the most endangered and special marine wildlife on the planet.

The next whale watches scheduled with Captain John Whale Watching and Fishing Tours out of Plymouth Harbor are on Saturday, April 9 and Sunday April 10. To register online or to learn more, go to their website at www.captjohn.com.

Salt, the Humpback Whale Presentation at Center School, Mattapoisett

2011-03-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

Today, Krill met with Tammy Kelley and her First Grade class at the Center School in Mattaopoisett. Tammy has been teaching her students about whales and other marine wildlife and invited Krill to come in and speak to her students.

Krill was amazed at how much these young learners knew about whales and the other marine wildlife found off Cape Cod. Not only were Tammy's students knowledgable about marine wildlife, but they were curious about whales and excited about learning more.

Tammy's students enjoyed handling all the neat marine wildlife artifacts that Krill brought to their classroom including humpback baleen, a large whale vertebrae and preserved samples of what whales and other marine wildlife eat when in our waters.

The students also enjoyed watching the PPT presentation that Krill put together for this very special day, which also turned out to be Saint Patrick's Day. Tammy's students had fun using the whale tail props they made when singing the "Salt, the Humpback Whale" song.

But the most fun was had by one and all when Krill inflated Crystal, a fabric whale that is the size of a one-year old humpback whale. Crystal is Salt's first known calf and he was born in 1980. These kids were amazed at how large Crystal was when he was just one years old and couldn't imagine just how large he is today. A few years ago, NECWA staff member Pat Mancini created Crystal and this inflatable whale has been a huge hit with kids and adults ever since.

NECWA would like to send a big "thank you" to Tammy Kelley and her amazing students. Krill thoroughly enjoyed spending time with these young and enthusiastic learners and had just as much fun as the kids. It was clear that Tammy Kelley has done a wonderful job with her students for they now only "knew their stuff" but they were excited, enthusiastic and eager to learn more.

Cape Cod Natural History Conference March 12, 2011

2011-03-12T17:36:00.000-08:00

Ocean Sunfish Presentation at the 16th Annual Cape Cod Natural History Conference.

Today Tammy Silva and Krill Carson presented NECWA's findings on ocean sunfish strandings on Cape Cod beaches from 2008 - 2010 at the 16th Annual Cape Cod Natural History Conference. This conference is sponsored by Mass Audubon at Wellfleet Bay and is one of the nicest community-based conferences held in the state. Each March, Mass Audubon puts together a wide variety of presentations that focus on the geology, history and biology of Cape Cod. And each year the conference gets better and better with more exciting talks and posters presented by scientists, researchers, students and professionals within the community.

Thanks to Tammy Silva for all her work on this presentation. She did an amazing job of putting the presentation together and presenting the findings at this conference. Thanks also to Nick Schomburg, Patty Grace and Caitlyn Dionne for their help at the conference in terms of manning NECWA's educational table. Tammy, Nick, Patty and Caitlyn have all participated in ocean sunfish strandings and we thank them for their time and efforts this year and in past years.

And a big thank you to Bob Prescott and the staff of Mass Audubon at Wellfleet Bay for their support with this project over the years. Bob and Krill conducted the first ocean sunfish necropsies in 2008 and from this work, they established the protocols and procedures used by NECWA today.

Through NECWA' s activities since this project began in 2005, we have collected the largest database on stranded ocean sunfish in the western North Atlantic. However, we could not have accomplished all we have without the help of many other organizations, colleagues, friends as well as the general public. Big thank you to Dr. John Jahoda from Bridgewater State University and Captain John Whale Watching and Fishing Tours (www.captjoh.com).

Thanks also to Cape Cod Consultants (Don Lewis and Susan Nourse) for all their help and assistance over the years. Don and Susan are always great at contacting NECWA about ocean sunfish strandings and providing information on those carcasses that NECWA can not access.

Thanks also to the staff of the IFAW Marine Mammal Research and Research program and to the Cape Cod Canal Ranger, DNR and DEC for passing along ocean sunfish stranding information to NECWA from their staff, members and public volunteers.

And thanks to all the NECWA staff, interns and volunteers who have assisted with this project over the years including: Maya Jaklitsch, Nick Schomburg, Cory Heston, Tammy Silva, Ann Cook, Patty Grace, Caitlyn Dionne, Leah Horeanopoulos, Marianne Barrette, Belinda Rubinstein, Rick Buker, Dominica Webster and Bob Edgren.

And a big thanks to all the NECWA supporters and the general public, including Owen Nichols, Phil Kyle, Greg McGrath and the many others who have taken the time to report sightings of live and dead animals and to assist with stranding activities. If I forgot to mention anyone, please forgive me and send me an email reminding me of your involvement.

Help us continue to discover the wonders and beauty of the ocean sunfish by reporting your sightings, both live and dead, on the beach and offshore, to the NEBShark website. Go to www.nebshark.org and input your sightings to help us learn more about the biology and ecology of this very unusual and amazing coastal pelagic fish.

Thank you!

Commercial Whaling - An overview and how you can get involved.

2011-01-22T17:56:00.000-08:00

Posting by Tammy Silva, NECWA intern.

Commercial whaling first began in the 17^th century. The hunt for whales reached its peak in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, leading to the decimation of whale populations world-wide. New England is richly steeped in the whaling industry and her traditions. The nearby city of New Bedford, MA was once known as the whaling capital of the world; in fact, in the mid 1800s over half of the whaling ships in the world called New Bedford their home port. Provincetown, MA was the second largest whaling port for at one time over 170 whaling ships departed from its well protected harbor.

As whale population continued to decline, it was clear that the whaling industry needed some sort of regulation or oversight. In 1946, an international agreement (the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling) established the International Whaling Commission (IWC). The IWC is an international body whose main purpose is to govern whaling throughout the world. Any country can become a member of the IWC as long as they follow the Convention of 1946.

Through the mid 20^th century, over-exploited whale populations were not increasing; therefore, in 1986, the IWC issued a moratorium banning commercial whaling. Despite this ban, three countries continue to engage in commercial whaling: Iceland, Norway, and Japan. Both Iceland and Norway have officially objected to the moratorium and continue to hunt certain species of whales on a commercial basis. Iceland mainly hunts Minke and Fin whales from the Central and North-eastern Atlantic Ocean. Norway almost exclusively hunts Minke whales from the North- eastern Atlantic

Japan is also continuing to hunt whales on a reduced basis by exploiting a loophole in the moratorium. Japan justifies their hunt by saying that it is part of their scientific research program (To read about Japan’s research program from their point of view, visit Japan’s Institute of Cetacean Research http://www.icrwhale.org/WhatsResearchAbout.htm. To read an article contradicting some points of Japan’s research program, visit http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/03/15/whaling-research-hunt-japan.html).

Killing whales for scientific research is allowed under the moratorium with possession of an IWC issued permit. Japan, as well as Iceland, has been issued a permit by the IWC. Although Japan claims that whales are hunted for scientific purposes, whale meat is sold on the Japanese market and is on the menu of many restaurants. Japan’s largest whaling efforts occur in the Southern Ocean, where Minke, Fin whales and are hunted. Japan also hunts Sei, Bryde’s, Sperm and Minke Whales in the North Pacific Ocean.

Although approximately 1700 whales are still killed every year, certain member countries in the IWC recently proposed that the 24 year-old ban on whaling be lifted. According to the proposal Iceland, Norway and Japan would be allowed to hunt whales legally if they reduced the number of whales that they catch now. Some members nations in the IWC have reasoned that by legalizing whaling, the total number of whales killed over the next 10 years would be vastly reduced and the IWC’s power in governing whaling would be strengthened. However, many supporters of the moratorium feel that legalizing whaling again would only increase the total number of whales killed and would undo everything that scientists and whale activists have worked to achieve in the past 24 years.

During President Obama’s campaign, he promised to "strengthen the moratorium on commercial whaling." President Obama also stated that “allowing Japan to continue commercial whaling is unacceptable.” This past spring, the Obama administration expressed support for the IWC proposal to lift the moratorium on commercial whaling. President Obama’s support for this new proposal directly opposed his campaign promise to lead the world in ending whaling.

The American people exhibited an overwhelming response combating President Obama’s support of this proposal and we achieved a small victory; at the meeting of the IWC in Agadir, Morocco in June 2010, the US government issued this statement: "First and foremost, the United States continues to support the commercial whaling moratorium. We strongly oppose lethal scientific whaling – we strongly believe it unnecessary for modern whale conservation and management. In particular, the United States is concerned by whaling in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary, and by the increased international trade and black market trade in whale meat and whale products."

The members of the IWC failed to come to an agreement on the proposal at the June 2010 meeting and the negotiations on the moratorium have been halted for at least another year. But this proposal should not be considered again! Whaling is cruel, inhumane, archaic and illegal. The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) states that “there is no way to hunt and kill whales at sea without causing acute suffering. Visibility, sea swells, and movements of the boat make it impossible to insure a lethal shot at sea. Whales can suffer up to a full hour before they succumb to the rifles and harpoons of the hunters.”

In the face of climate change, global pollution and a plethora of other man-made challenges, we should be working together to conserve, preserve and protect these magnificent mammals, NOT hunt them! We need to keep encouraging President Obama to do more to save the whales and end whaling and you can help!

Here is what you can do!

Write your own letter, call or fax President Obama
President Barack Obama
The White House
600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500

Comment Line: (202) 456-1111

Fax: (202) 456-2461

Send a message to President Obama

Visit the CA Coalition Against Whaling website: http://sites.google.com/site/cacoalitionagainstwhaling

At the top of the page click the “learn more, do more” link. This link will bring you to another page of links where you can send an automated message to President Obama.

Write/fax and call your US Representatives and Senators: The Capitol switchboard is (202) 456-1414.

Boycott Japan: Email the Japanese Prime Minister, Yukio Hatoyama, and tell him you will not purchase any Japanese products or visit Japan until they stop killing whales. You can also send an automated message at: http://sites.google.com/site/cacoalitionagainstwhaling

To learn more:

International Whaling Commission (IWC) at www.iwcoffice.org
Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) at www.nrdc.org
Greenpeace at www.greenpeace.org/usa/en
Save The Whales! at www.savethewhales.org
International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) www.ifaw.org/ifaw_united_states
World Society for the Protection of Animals at www.wspa-international.org
Cetacean Society International at www.csiwhalesalive.org

Relevant articles:

To Learn More About NECWA ...

To learn more about us, the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance, please ...

visit our website at www.necwa.org
and our blog at www.newcanews.blogspot.org

A Tribute to our NECWA 2010 Interns

2011-01-14T16:04:00.000-08:00

We would like to take a moment to thank our 2010 NECWA Interns for all their help this season.

A big thank you to our 2010 interns including: Tammy, Nick, Dominica, Theo, Shaya, Kelly, Michael, Caitlyn, Tiffany, Mary, Patty. Tobias and Bob.

Each season, NECWA works with close to a dozen interns who come from all backgrounds and walks of life. Most are college students, but a few are high school students or professionals in the community. Many volunteer onboard the Captain John Whale Watching boats, helping naturalists collect sighting and photographic data on the whales and other unique coastal marine wildlife that are sighted from the boat.

Once our interns learn how to collect their sighting and photographic data, the next step is working with Krill to learn how to analyze that data. NECWA interns work one-on-one with Krill learning how to identify individual humpback whales through the photographs that they collect.

As interns analyze their data, they learn quickly that this part of the work is not as much fun as watching the whales offshore. But it is an essential part of the research and if we are to help protect and conserve our humpback population.

NECWA shares all their data with the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies (PCCS) in an effort to collaborate with other organizations and institutions. Collecting data for the sake of "the data" doesn't make sense and it doesn't help the animals that we have come to know and love.

Collaboration is the key to making a difference on this planet for whales, seabirds, seals, basking sharks, ocean sunfish and other coastal marine wildlife. And it is essential for our own survival, flesh and spirit. PCCS shares this data with Allied Whale, the non-profit located in Maine and that maintains the definitive humpback whale catalog for the Gulf of Maine.

But there are many other activities and projects that are NECWA interns are involved with. Many help us with educational presentations to school groups and family groups within the community. And often, interns help with field-based activities including beach cleanup efforts and stranding responses for live and dead animals.

Each fall, NECWA responds to dozens of reports of dead and live ocean sunfish that strand along the shores of Cape Cod. We are still not sure why ocean sunfish strand each fall, but many feel that these large pelagic fish are not able to withstand the cold temperatures experienced as winter approaches.

In the past, only college level students and professionals were accepted as interns in our annual program. But a few years ago, we decided to accept a high school student from Plymouth who came highly recommended. And that is how NECWA was very fortunate to work with Nick Schomburg who quickly became one of our most important and valuable members.

Nick has helped with almost every aspect of NECWA including necropsies, data collection offshore, web design, helping to create educational material and helping with festivals and educational programs. Presently, Nick is a Junior at Plymouth South High School and is focusing in web design.

Nick has exceeded all our expectations and his help over the years has been invaluable. We know he will continue to achieve amazing things. Thank you for all your help and dedication Nick. You are one of the reasons that NECWA is able to accomplish so much each year.

Thank you to all our interns who volunteered with us during 2010. We were very fortunate to have a wonderful group of people working with us over the course of the season. We hope you enjoyed your time with us and with the whales, seals, sunfish, seabirds and other marine wildlife that we are all so fortunate to connect with in the New England area. And we hope you will continue to work with us in the future and that your lives will be filled with exciting and precious moments in Nature.

2010-12-16T11:45:00.000-08:00

So often we post ocean sunfish carcasses that wash ashore on Cape Cod beaches. Recently however, Sabrina Fletcher sent us these photos of a "living" sunfish that she encountered approximately 30 miles offshore from the boat landing at Murr...ells Inlet. Sabrina wrote that "this fish let us cruise up to him/her on our boat, I reached out and it let me pet its top fin, was AMAZING! It let us hover near it and observe and capture these photos for over 15 minutes before it drifted off to the deep!"

Thanks Sabrina for sending these photos to NEBShark and allowing us to post them on Facebook and our blog. Nice to have pictures and encounters with live and healthy sunfish. They are so beautiful and deserve our full attention and admiration!

Send your photos and sighting information to our community-sighting network called NEBShark (New England Basking Shark Project). We will include your sighting information into our database which is helping us learn more about these amazing animals. Go to www.nebshark.org.

Thanks for your help.

Ocean Sunfish Necropsy on December 5, 2010

2010-12-06T04:58:00.000-08:00

This afternoon, Krill, Leah and Nick traveled to the Cape to find a dead ocean sunfish that had stranded on Mants Beach in Brewster, MA. One of the local residents, Kathy, called the IFAW Marine Mammal Rescue Program to report this animal and they passed the information along to NEBShark, the community-sighting network for basking sharks and ocean sunfish that is maintained by NECWA.

Bob Prescott, Director of Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary had also come across this carcass the night before as he was conducting night patrols for cold-stunned sea turtles. Bob reported back to Krill that this carcass was quite large, in fact, one of the largest he has seen. And he was right!

When the NECWA team arrived on site and found the carcass just below the high tide line, no one could believe just how big this animal really was. From tip of snout to tip of tail, this carcass was close to 8 feet in length. This is the largest ocean sunfish carcass that has been examined by NECWA staff since the NEBShark program began in 2005.

Not only was this a large ocean sunfish for the area, but the carcass was relatively fresh indicating that the animal had recently died in the waters of Cape Cod Bay. Hard to image that a more tropical-loving fish can continue to reside in our cold northern waters as winter approaches.

Many of the local residents came down to the beach and chatted with the NECWA team. Many had questions about the life history of this unique and unusual animal and its occurrence in our cold New England waters.

But we believe that the ocean sunfish stranding on our Cape beaches in the fall have missed the thermal cues that should have sent them migrating south to their warmer wintering grounds. Just like the sea turtles who become trapped inside Cape Cod Bay and become cold-stunned as Bay water temperatures continue to drop , these large fish can't seem to function in extreme cold waters.

This was Leah's first necropsy of an ocean sunfish and she was amazed at the size of the animal and the beauty of this marine creature. She helped Nick collect the external body measurements that will be included in the NEBShark database and she helped with the necropsy by focusing on the examination of the sex organ.

Because of the size and general health of this animal, it was very difficult cutting through the thick layer of reticulated collagen that measured over 10 cm in most areas. But when Krill and Leah extracted the ovary, they couldn't believe just how large in size it was.

It took the team almost 4 hours to conduct a Level A examination followed by a modified necropsy were the animal was sexed (female) and the vertebrae was collected for future age determination studies. Everyone was cold and hungry so off they headed to Hyannis for a quick meal before heading home.

Ocean Sunfish Necropsy on December 3, 2010, 2009 - Town Neck, Sandwich

2010-12-05T06:13:00.000-08:00

After Tammy and Krill necropsied the ocean sunfish at Cole Road Beach, they headed to Town Neck Beach in Sandwich, MA to check on another dead ocean sunfish reported just off the boardwalk area. NECWA intern Nick and good friend Peter met Krill and Tammy at the Town Neck parking lot. From there, they headed out to the beach on the bay side to look for the sunfish.

They were able to meet up with Holly and her beautiful dog Ruby, who had reported this ocean sunfish carcass a few days ago. Like Steve in Eastham, Holly was keeping on eye on this carcass to keep Krill updated on its position. Unfortunately for the NECWA team, this carcass was at the base of the boardwalk and within easy access. But by the time the team arrived, the carcass had been moved down the beach quite some distance by the extreme high tides.

Holly, Ruby and their friends joined the team as we walked down the beach in search of the ocean sunfish. The trio of dogs were having a great time on the beach and it was nice to have this type of four-legged company. As dusk quickly approached, the team worked furiously to try and collect all the needed body measurements and tissue samples. Joining us on the beach was Cape Cod Times journalist and photographer Jason, who took pictures and video of our activities.

Jason posted information about this necropsy and the plight of the great ocean sunfish in the Cape Cod Times, both the online and the printed version. We thank Jason for doing this for it helps to get the word out about strandings of ocean sunfish on Cape Cod and the work that NECWA does. A day or so after Jason's articles, NECWA has received numerous emails about ocean sunfish sightings in the New England area and south. And NECWA received a call from Kathy in Brewster about an ocean sunfish off Robbins Hill Road. NECWA staff are gearing up to head down the Brewster this afternoon to check out this report.

Thanks Jason, your article and photos really made a difference!

I will catch up on the rest of this posting when I return from Brewster. Thanks again to all our volunteers who help us find and keep track of these incredible pelagic fish. Although the ocean sunfish is not a fish of interest to any government body or organization, it is a fish of interest to NECWA and to the residents of Cape Cod who admire its size and uniqueness.

Ocean Sunfish Stranding, Cole Road Beach, Eastham on Dec. 03, 2010

2010-12-04T18:37:00.000-08:00

Today, Krill and Tammy (one of our NECWA interns) met Steve down at Cole Road Beach in Eastham to find an ocean sunfish carcass that Steve had recently reported to NEBShark (New England Basking Shark Project at www.nebshark.org). This season, NECWA staff and interns have responded to over 20 reports of dead ocean sunfish that have stranded on Cape Cod beaches. Although we haven't been able to find every carcass that was reported, we have documented each sighting in our database.

Assisting with ocean sunfish Level A (external exam) and necropsy (internal exam) activities is a great learning experience for Tammy and the many other NECWA interns who are involved in this research project. This was Tammy's second ocean sunfish stranding and she was able to conduct most of the Level A examination (photo-documentation and body measuring) as well as assist Krill with the necropsy.

This ocean sunfish did not have a thick layer of reticulated collagen under the skin. The thickness of this tissue may directly relate to the overall health of the animal. Tammy and Krill were able to sex this animal which turned out to be a small male. Right now, it is close to a 50/50 ratio between female ocean sunfish and males.

Although this fish appeared healthy, its death is a reminder that this species has a difficult time dealing with cold water temperatures. Ocean sunfish are a warm water species that migrates into our productive waters to feed on jellyfish, ctenophores and other gelatinous critters. In the fall, many sunfish stay in our area too long, possibly fooled by the warmer waters of Cape Cod Bay. Or they may become trapped in the inner elbow of the Cape finding it impossible to navigate south.

We thank Steve for reporting this carcass to us and for keeping track of it for a number of days until we could get down to the Eastham area. We rely very heavily on Cape residents who walk the beaches on a regular basis. They become our eyes and ears and they allow us to respond to a large number of ocean sunfish strandings each season.

Thanks again Steve and all our supporters. Your efforts are helping NECWA collect the largest database on ocean sunfish in the northwestern Atlantic.

Mola mola washes up on Sandwich beach

2010-12-03T16:28:00.000-08:00

November 27, 2010 - Cold-stunned Sea Turtles at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary

2010-11-30T06:05:00.000-08:00

After the morning's Seal & Seabird cruise, Krill and Nick stopped by the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary to see Bob Prescott about a report of a dead ocean sunfish that washed ashore at Linell Landing. When they arrived, they found Bob in the Nature Center's wet lab getting 5 live Kemp ridley sea turtles ready for transport to a rehab facility in Quincy. These endangered sea turtles had recently cold-stunned and washed ashore on various Cape beaches over the Thanksgiving holiday.

To learn more, please read the article at the end of this post that was just posted today on Cape Cod Times online. This article provides an overview of the sea turtle rescues this season.

Bob Prescott is the Director of MA Audubon at Wellfleet Bay and a long-time friend and supporter of NECWA. Bob has been instrumental in helping Krill with ocean sunfish necropsies and internal examinations. Not only is Bob extremely knowledgeable about many marine animals, but he truly enjoys learning about unusual species like Mola mola. As Bob was carefully packing each young sea turtle in its own banana box, he explained how these sea turtles had come ashore that night for they were cold-stunned due to the dropping water temperatures.

Bob also spent time talking with and upating visitors to the Nature Center who noticed the sea turtles in their banana boxes in the entranceway of the facility. Bob explained how it was important to keep the body temperature of these sea turtles cool until they reach their final destination, the New England Aquarium rehabilitation facility in Quincy, MA.

Soon the volunteer driver arrived at the Nature Center and she discussed with Bob the directions for the new rehab facility. As soon as all the paperwork was completed, it was time to load the 5 Kemp ridley’s sea turtles into the volunteer’s Prius. Nick and Krill helped carry the banana boxes containing their precious cargo to the parking lot as Bob expertly stacked the boxes in the back seat.

As Bob, Krill and Nick waved goodbye, they wished the sea turtles a safe journey and a quick recovery. Given the endangered status of this species, each individual counts. And even though the majority of sea turtles that strand along our shores are juveniles, they represent the future hope for this rare species.

If you live on Cape Cod and are interested in walking beaches to rescue cold-stunned sea turtles, please call the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Center. You will need to attend a brief workshop where you will learn the correct procedures and protocols used during sea turtle rescue efforts. Not only will you get lots of great exercise when walking beaches in search of sea turtles, but you will be helping out an endangered species that is in great need.

We hope you will visit the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in the future months. The Nature Center is fabulous as are the trails that lead you right down to the waters of Cape Cod Bay. The Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary offers many different programs for adults and children and they conduct a number of important research programs on Cape Cod.

Becoming a member of MA Audubon will help Bob and his staff continue to rescue cold-stunned sea turtles and will support the critically important work they do for the benefit of terrestrial and aquatic wildlife in the New England area. Don’t forget, an Audubon membership makes you eligible for discounts on their programs and public activities.

Turtles strand in high numbers on Cape

By Eric Williams

ewilliams@capecodonline.com

November 30, 2010 2:00 AM

Even turtle experts are stunned at the recent pace of cold-stunned turtle season on Cape Cod.

From Thursday through midday Monday, 85 sea turtles in trouble were plucked from area beaches.

"This certainly could be a record stranding year," said Robert Prescott, director of the Massachusetts Audubon Society's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. "They're being found anywhere from Sandy Neck in Barnstable all the way up to Ryder Beach in Truro."

Altogether this season, 107 turtles have been found alive and 26 found dead. Most of the survivors have been sent for treatment to a New England Aquarium rehabilitation facility in Quincy. Kemp's ridley turtles make up the vast majority of the Cape's stunned turtle population.

In 1999, 278 turtles were brought to the Audubon sanctuary, the current record.

The sanctuary is seeking donations of towels and cardboard boxes to help transport the chilled reptiles to rehab.

Experts say if you see a cold-stunned turtle, move it above the high-tide line. Cover it with eelgrass or seaweed to reduce the effect of the wind. Mark the spot with beach debris in a way that will allow it to be found again. Call the Mass Audubon's sea turtle hot line at 508-349-2615, ext. 104, and leave the exact location of the turtle. Then, let the turtle professionals do their thing.