We have now encountered
655 humpbacks in our 12 offshore trips to the Great South
Channel and Stellwagen. With the assistance of the
Whale Center of New England, we have
photo-identified 269 different whales during these
trips.
CRESLI
and Dowling College are teaming up with SEANET
(The Seabird Ecological Assessment Network) to help
perform important research via beached bird surveys.
These surveys are being carried out to identify and
record information about bird mortality along the
northeastern coast. Data collected by SEANET volunteers
are used to examine the spatial pattern of bird carcass
deposition and how it varies across time. Because
regular monitoring of beached birds has not been done in
this region, these surveys will provide baseline
information about bird mortality as well as help detect
mass mortality events such as oil spills. Seabirds are
especially sensitive to petroleum and other pollution,
because the physical properties of oil degrade the
insulating and waterproofing properties of feathers, and
ingestion or inhalation of oil can also poison birds.
Because there is a large amount of shipping traffic
offshore, there is a great risk to seabirds from both
large spill events and small-scale discharge of waste
from boats on a daily basis. Numerous other threats such
as contaminants, diseases, and offshore development
threaten coastal and marine birds, which can serve as
indicators of ecosystem and human health... Volunteers
needed,,,
Click here for the latest SEANET NEWS
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