NECWA News Blog

Kathy and Deb with dead torpedo ray in sled. On January 26th, a large female torpedo ray stranded dead on the shores of Corporation Beach in Dennis, MA, and was reported to the NECWA hotline (508-566-0009). This would become torpedo ray stranding #53 for the 2022 season which extends into the early months of 2023.  Torpedo ray stranded dead at Corporation Beach. NECWA volunteer, Deb Capobianco responded immediately and rushed down to the beach to secure the carcass as the animal stranded below the high tide. The carcass would have washed away if not for her fast action. Being a large carcass, Deb was concerned that she would not be able to drag the carcass on her own. So Deb was able to maneuver the carcass onto a sled and dragged the carcass above the high tide live with a lot of effort. Thank you Deb! Female torpedo ray in Deb's sled. Ready for transport.  Soon, NECWA volunteer, Kathy Miller, joined her and the two ladies necropsied the carcass on-site. These external and interna

NECWA'S winter newsletter hot off the press.  Click HERE to read all the amazing things that have been going on this fall and early winter.

 

  https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/local/2022/12/27/mola-mola-fish-live-tropical-areas-traveled-north-recently/69758811007/

 

  Join the NECWA team in Nantucket or virtually for this  exciting  event.  The UMass Boston Nantucket  Field Station is thrilled to host: Big Fish in New England: Strategies for Strandings and Research Activities Carol "Krill" Carson  President and Founder of the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance Meet Carol "Krill" Carson. Learn about big fish research and rescue.  Open to the public, students, staff and faculty. Thursday Dec 15th, 2022. Hybrid talk: (in person or zoom webinar) Talk 1:00-2:15PM ( ZOOM Webinar) Broadcast from the Nantucket Field Station  Conference Room, 180 Polpis Road Stranding training will follow the talk for those attending in person on Nantucket.  (2:30-4PM) Webinar Registration required by all attending virtually or in person:  https://umassboston.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JQMvMzZbRnepHa5Ix1ti4g

By Joshua Perry, 2022 NECWA Intern Wareham, MA. June 27, 2022 — On the morning of June 14, three diamondback terrapins were struck and killed by cars while crossing the Weweantic Bridge, the busy Route 6 thoroughfare linking the towns of Wareham and Marion. A concerned motorist, Mike Maurer from Marion, managed to save a fourth terrapin and notified NECWA of the other fatalities. It was a shocking tragedy and a clear sign that terrapins and other turtles are in grave danger on our roads. The Weweantic Bridge is a known hotspot for these accidents: nearby terrapins come ashore looking to nest and are funneled on to it, ending up in the middle of mid-morning traffic. NECWA is working with local and state authorities to find a solution to this problem and to increase awareness of the bridge’s safety issues. The reality is that adult female terrapins are running out of options when it comes time to nest each year. Urban encroachment, coastal armoring, and rising sea levels are eroding

by Ben Waltz, 2022 NECWA Intern In the early parts of the Summer, when horseshoe crabs are most abundant, volunteers perform surveys to better understand how the horseshoe crab population is faring. New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance (NECWA) is one of the organizations that volunteers to take part in these surveys, organized by Mass Audubon. The data from these surveys is sent to the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) who then use this information to make decisions about the best conservation practices for horseshoe crabs. One of the perks of these surveys is that you get to be at the beach, enjoy the nice weather, and learn. When I took part in a survey, I got to see what goes on behind the scenes. One thing I learned quickly was that female horseshoe crabs tend to be much larger than males. Size alone isn’t enough to tell them apart which is why we need to flip them over and check their pincers. Male’s pedipalps have an appearance that looks like a boxing glove