NECWA News Blog

Happy Mother's Day to all the ladies out there! Thank you for your nurturing spirit of "mothering" that extends to family, friends, colleagues and strangers alike. This sentiment honors all women for their care, strength, courage, and positive impact on the health and wellbeing of others and the planet.

Comment period open for possible deregulation of federal rule regarding speed restrictions to protect North Atlantic Right Whales . The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)  is accepting public comments until June 2, 2026 as they consider deregulating the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Speed Rule established in 2008. This rule set in place  seasonal and mandatory vessel speed restrictions in designated areas along the East Coast of the US in an attempt to reduce the risk of vessel collisions with this critically endangered species.  This population was decimated by commercial whaling in the early 1900.s for this species is slow-moving, often travels and feeds close to shore, and has so much blubber under it's skin that it floats when killed. These features and characteristics is how they got their common name "Right Whale" for they were the right whale to kill. Currently, the biggest threats to their continued survival include vessel strikes, entangle...

13th Annual Herring Festival at Oliver Mills Park, Middleboro, MA. Article by Will Singe r.  This weekend was the 13th Annual Herring Run Festival at Oliver Mills Park in Middleboro, MA. For years, I’ve heard legends about this event for it brings the community together to have fun, eat and drink all the while listening to live music by local musicians. Everyone was here to witness a fascinating natural phenomena that happens every spring, river herring migrating from their ocean home to freshwater ponds and lakes in order to spawn.   River Herring refer to two different species of fish that are very similar in appearance and often difficult to tell apart: alewife and blueback herring. They are anadromous fish for each spring they migrate from their ocean. home to freshwater ponds and lakes to breed. This phenomenon typically begin in March, peaks in April, and ends in June. R iver herring travel miles upstream to reach the place where they were born. On this journe...

Yesterday, March 21, 2026, NECWA was once again part of Cooler Middleborough, a community festival that brings together different organizations all focused on making the world a better place for us and for the organisms that also call it home. NECWA brought our 40' inflatable whale model and set-up 6 tables with lots of educational material available to festival participants.  Kids and adults had a great time viewing our inflatable model of Salt, the Humpback Whale. Not only could you view Salt from the outside, but you can also go inside her and view inflated organs, like the heart, lungs, and digestive tract.  NECWA also set-up our Song Tent where we play and discuss humpback song. Kids and adults can go inside and listen to humpback song as they learn about its purpose and changing musical structure.      NECWA also provided 6 tables filled with various educational activities. Some tables displayed marine artifacts like whale bones, whale baleen, shark j...

On Saturday, March 7th, NECWA staff members Kathy Miller and Deb Munson presented a poster on thresher shark strandings on Cape Cod. This conference was sponsored by Mass Audubon and held at the Cape Cod Community College in Barnstable. This poster was put together by Krill Carson, John Chisholm (State Shark Biologist), Deb Munson, and Kathy Miller. The poster was very well received by conference participants. NECWA responds to strandings of various species of marine wildlife, esp. those that are overlooked by other organizations. We call them the "Marine Misfits." NECWA has been rescuing and documenting strandings for over 20 years which has created a very important long-term database for many marine misfits, including the ocean sunfish, torpedo ray, and various species of sharks. Please donate to NECWA to keep us in the field conducting rescues and research activities. We are a grassroots nonprofit dedicated to rescuing and studying New England's unique coastal marine w...

Due to the recent Blizzard, DMF is extending the public comment period for Horseshoe Crabs harvested in the waters of MA. The second and last remote public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, March 4th, starting at 6 pm. Please register and attend this Zoom meeting if possible. If you can not attend and comment via Zoom, you can email written comments through Friday, March 6th. Email to Director Dan McKiernan at marine.fish@mass.gov. The Southeastern Massachusetts Pine Barrens has a great page on this species, the issues, and how to help. Go to https://pinebarrensalliance.org/horseshoe-crab-advocates/ . Also check out the Massachusetts Horseshoe Crab Coalition at https://horseshoecrabs.org We need good management of this species to ensure its continued survival in the coastal waters of New England. Your voice can make a difference. Learn the facts and make a statement on behalf of these amazing creatures.