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Interns in Action

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Yesterday (May 18, 20926) NECWA intern Natalie Hartley joined NECWA volunteer staff members Seth Cohen and Kathy Miller for a horseshoe crab survey sponsored by Mass Audubon at Wellfleet Bay. These spawning surveys help scientists at the Div. of Marine Fisheries estimate population size and status for this very important, key stone species. NECWA provides these type of activities to all interns to support their professional growth and development. This type of field and lab work allows high school and college interns interested in marine biology and marine science to grow in their field of choice and to build their resume.  Hopefully these types of experiences will help our interns move on to the next internship, job, or degree program. NECWA works with over 60 interns each year and we feel that this is a very important mission for our organization. Often there is no other way to get the experience needed than to do. This type of hands-on learning is essential for our intern's grow...
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Headstart Terrapin Program - Snack Time

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Here are 2 of NECWA's Headstart terrapins filmed this week in the Bourne Elementary School. This beautiful pair is getting a late afternoon bite to eat under the supervision of STEM teacher Ms. Toni Perry. Ms. Perry has been a long-term participant in NECWA's Headstart program and does an incredible job with the kids, the terrapins, and this conservation mission. Click HERE to watch the TikTok video clip. 
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Hot off the press! "This week we're heading to New England to get to know its very large, blobby, thick-tailed electric ray that's super cool but not well-understood. In this episode, we get a peek into the torpedo ray's personality and deep dive into the how-tos and value of rescuing and necropsying stranded fish. Guy ponders if anyone has used uterine "milk" to make a cheese and Katrina wonders about historical accounts of these fish being used to cure migraines and gout. Our guest is Carol "Krill" Carson from the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance." To listen to the podcast with NECWA President and Founder, Krill Carson, click HERE .
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Happy Mother's Day

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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.
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Right Whales Need Your Help!

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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...
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13th Annual Herring Festival in Middleboro, MA

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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...
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Cooler Middleboro Festival - 2026

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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...
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Thresher Shark Poster at the Cape Cod Natural History Conference

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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...
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