NECWA News Blog

This October, Brian Chmielecki (NECWA affiliate)  attended the 22 nd  Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals held in Halifax, Nova Scotia to share his collaborative research entitled “Fin Whale ( Balaenoptera physalus ) Foraging and Distribution in Shallow Waters South of New England.” This conference was sponsored by the Society for Marine Mammalogy. Brian explaining some of the data during the conference.  Brian’s poster presentation interpreted 30 years of data documenting fin whale locations, behavior, and foraging ecology for the inshore region bordered by Long Island, NY and Block Island, RI. Data were obtained using standardized sighting techniques and  GPS technologies across 26 field seasons, logging in more than 380 whale watches. Additional sighting information was also included and came from collaborative efforts with other researchers working in the same area.   Results showed that spring through summer finback...

River herring live in the North Atlantic during the year and enter coastal fresh water rivers to spawn each spring.   The adults lay eggs in headwater ponds and in the rivers, then return to the ocean.   The eggs hatch within a few weeks and the young fry live in the breeding waters for a few months.   Then they make their way to the ocean where they will live for three or four years before making their own first spawning run. The Taunton River/Nemasket River herring run the largest herring run and spawning area in Massachusetts.   Our river herring enter through Narragansett Bay, swim up the Taunton and Nemasket Rivers, and spawn in the pristine 5000 acre Assawompset Pond Complex.   The Nemasket River traditionally hosts a run of approximately half a million fish in recent years.   Herring have been part of Middleborough and Lakeville history since primitive times and played an important role in the area economics, agriculture, sport fishing and c...

Date: Sunday, October 22, 2017 Time:  8 am - 4 pm Location:  7 Seas Whale Watch, 63 Rogers Street, Gloucester, MA Vessel:  Privateer IV Registration Link for Trip National Weather Service - Marine Forecast 7Seas Whale Watch NECWA website Liability Waiver Our fall Ocean Exploration Cruise is a GO for this coming Sunday, October 22, from 8 am to 4 pm. We ride aboard the Privateer IV, which is owned and operated by 7 Seas Whale Watch, out of Gloucester, MA located at 63 Rogers Street. You will have to pay for parking so bring small bills, etc.  Guest Naturalists: I am looking forward to seeing everyone offshore as well as working with our amazing Guest Naturalists for this trip that include: Wayne Petersen, Jim Sweeney, Thomas Robben, and David Clapp. These experts are also donating their time offshore and we greatly thank them for their efforts on NECWA's behalf.  Our Ocean Exploration Cruises are an annual fundraising event for NECWA. ...

Ocean Exploration Cruise - June 11, 2017 from 8 am to 4 pm Cetacean Sightings: 1 basking shark 4 - 5 Harbor porpoise 1 Humpback whale - Nile 3 - 4 Minke whales 1 Finback whale Seabird Sightings:  30 Common Eider (harbor) 1 White-winged Scoter 3 Manx Shearwater 15 Northern Gannet 13 Double-crested cormorant (harbor) 1 Glossy Ibis (harbor) 3 Black-bellied Plover 60 Herring Gull 20 Great Black-backed Gull 32 Rock Pigeon (harbor) 6 Chimney Swift (one at sea) 1 American crow 5 Barn swallow (harbor) 1 Common grackle (harbor) 2 American Goldfinch (harbor) 1 House sparrow To read Thomas Robben's Trip Report, go to his website "Seabirds, Marine Surveys and Changing Ocean EcoSystems" by clicking HERE : We left out of Gloucester, MA at 8 am with fair winds and clear skies. Our first destination was the northwest corner of Stellwagen Bank. Yesterday, 7 Seas Whale Watch had picked up a small number of whales and seabirds in th...