Summer
1997
Sanctuary
Currents
More Effective Tuna Management Tools Adopted
Bluefin Tuna Fishing Categories
Research Briefs
Education Digest
Sanctuary
Currents
Protecting
Important Habitats in the Gulf of Maine
The Sanctuary was an active participant in a Gulf of Maine Council on
the Marine Environment workshop on Marine Protected Areas this past
May. Representatives from three states (Massachusetts, New Hampshire
and Maine), two provinces (New Brunswick and Nova Scotia) and U.S. and
Canadian federal agencies met to discuss the potential interest in and/or
need for development of a network of marine protected areas around the
Gulf. These areas would be selected for their importance to the protection
of endangered or economically important species, such as right whales,
Irish moss, and groundfish spawning grounds. By definition, marine protected
areas are: any areas of intertidal or subtidal terrain together with
their overlying waters and associated plants, animals, and historical
and cultural features, which have been reserved by legislation to manage
and protect part or all of the enclosed environments. Such areas may
include a range of protection levels, such as: strict protection; ecosystem
conservation and recreation; conservation of natural features; conservation
through active management; landscape/seascape conservation and recreation;
and sustainable use of natural ecosystems. Initial funding for this
work has been provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(which also administers the Sanctuary Program) and a grant through the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Further support for this program
is expected from the Council, NOAA, and the Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary.
Coastal
Zone '97
The bienniel international conference for coastal issues will be held
in Boston this year. Coastal Zone '97 The Next 25 Years: Charting the
Future of Coastal Zone Management will include panel discussions on:
linking science to public policy and coastal management; assessing human
impacts on resource management; protecting habitats for living marine
resources; innovations in technology; citizen stewardship programs;
cooperative ecosystem management such as the U.S./Canada Gulf of Maine,
Great Lakes and Puget Sound programs; and recreation and tourism in
the coastal zone; among many topics. The Sanctuary will play a role
in the conference by providing its traveling photographic exhibition
"Creatures of the Bank: an exploration of the biological diversity of
the Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary" and supporting the Monday evening program
-- a performance of master storyteller Jay O'Callahan's "Tell Them:
The Spirit of the Auk."
Gulf
of Maine Times
The first and second issues of the Gulf of Maine Times are available
through the Sanctuary Office (as will all future issues) or directly
through the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment (sponsor
of the newpaper). The Council provides a forum for the three states
and two Canadian provinces that border the Gulf of Maine, and the federal
agencies with interests in this geographic region. The summer issue
of the Gulf of Maine Times offers articles on watershed preservation
partnerships, Machias Seal Island and its bird sanctuary, education
resource listings, and environmental news from around the Gulf. To be
placed directly on the Times mailing list, write to: Editor, Gulf of
Maine Times, 20 Park Plaza, Suite 1112, Boston, MA 02116.
Sanctuary
Adds Operations Officer
Steve Kibner, formerly a chief warrant officer with the U.S. Coast Guard
(now retired) has been contracted to serve as the Sanctuary's operations
officer for the next year. With 30 years of experience in search and
rescue cases, Steve brings invaluable expertise to the Sanctuary. He
will be charged with running the Sanctuary's vessels -- the 30-foot
HAWK and a 21-foot Boston Whaler (no name as yet) -- and serving as
a liaison with the Coast Guard which acts as the Sanctuary's enforcement
arm. We welcome Steve to the Sanctuary team.
Student
Interns at Sanctuary
There's a youth movement at the Sanctuary this summer as several students
have begun internships. Liberty Trimarchi, a senior at Southhampton
College on Long Island this fall, is studying effects of vessel traffic
on whale behavior at Stellwagen Bank. She is a psychobiology major with
an interest in pursuing future research in animal behavior. Michael
Franklin, a graduate student in Boston University's Program in Science
Journalism, serves as contributing editor of Stellwagen Soundings and
will be writing a variety of publications during the summer internship.
Richard Nadworny and Kirk DeLeboursier, both graduate majors in mass
communications at Boston University are contributing to the development
on the Sanctuary's CD-ROM on the food web. The Sanctuary welcomes all
of these talented students.
Whalewatch
Education Meeting
An international group of whalewatch naturalists, researchers and operators
met in Provincetown, Mass. in May to discuss the role of education in
the growing industry of whale watching. Representing nations as distant
as South Africa, Iceland, Brazil, Japan, and Australia, the participants
developed recommendations and endorsements for education as an integral
part of the whalewatching experience. The meeting was organized by the
International Fund for Animal Welfare, based on Cape Cod, and the World
Wildlife Fund. The Sanctuary's education coordinator, Anne Smrcina,
was invited to participate as an official observer.
Right
Whales Make Early Visit, Early Exit
The northern right whales made an early visit to Massachusetts waters
this year, arriving in Cape Cod Bay in late January. The first mother-calf
pair appeared on Feb. 15, a full week earlier this year than any previous
year. Unfortunately for local researchers, the early arrivals did not
mean a longer season -- for the whales also left a few weeks sooner
than in past years. One possible reason for the departure was a major
bloom of the nuisance algae Phaeocystis. This thick, slimy surface growth
may block sunlight, impede the growth of other phytoplankton and discourage
the arrival of zooplankton, including the right whale's favorite food
-- copepods. The bloom did not last long, only a matter of weeks, but
by that time the right whales had moved on (some were seen at an area
called Wildcat Knoll, which is northeast of the Sanctuary, and others
continued on to a well-known feeding area, the Great South Channel).
Phaeocystis blooms have been recorded regularly throughout the past
century, although there are some concerns that increases in pollution
may support or prolong larger amounts of growth.
Names
for Hurricanes
The official 1997 hurricane season started on June 1 and runs through
the end of October. The names for this year's storms, selected from
library sources and agreed upon by the World Meteorological Organization
are: Ana, Bill, Claudette, Danny, Erika, Fabian, Grace, Henri, Isabel,
Juan, Kate, Larry, Mindy, Nicholas, Odette, Peter, Rose, Sam, Teresa,
Victor, Wanda.
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More
Effective Tuna Management Tools Adopted
The National
Marine Fisheries Service has adopted a series of sweeping proposals
to more effectively manage the valuable and highly-competitive Atlantic
bluefin tuna fishery for 1997.
The fisheries
service finalized a new tuna permit program to improve collection of
information about the number of fish caught and the amount of fishing
effort; prohibited bluefin tuna fishing by General category permit holders
on restricted fishing days and prohibited retention of smaller size
fish by General category fishers; and split the Angling large school/small
medium and trophy category quotas into North/South subquotas. The fisheries
service is still reviewing the public comments received concerning the
proposed prohibition on the use of spotter aircraft.
The new
changes to the regulations are the result of comments and suggestions
from fishermen and other interest groups. "I am pleased by all the good
advice we received from those interested in the future of Atlantic bluefin
tunas," said Rolland Schmitten, fisheries service director. "These new
regulations will improve our management of this fishery."
The changes
to the Angling category regulations are expected to allow fishermen
from a greater geographical area to pursue bluefin tuna for a longer
period of time and lengthen the fishing season. [Tuna are highly migratory,
possibly spawning the the Gulf of Mexico, then moving north to feed.
Some may even circumnavigate the Atlantic. Although recreational fishing
had occurred in both regions of the U.S. east coast, a fast-growing
southern industry had begun to make a significant dent in the national
quota before the tuna even reached northern waters.]
Under
the new regulations, the recreational quotas for large school-small
medium and large medium-giant (trophy) Atlantic bluefin tuna quotas
have been allocated as: 53% of landings to the northern region and 47%
to the southern region (the dividing line is 38 degrees, 47 minutes
North Latitude or just south of New Jersey).
In recent
years, the fisheries service has also received substantial comment concerning
the number of active vessels fishing for tunas. Fleet size estimation
is considered an important element in the current recreational monitoring
system. Therefore, the fisheries service has developed a new automated
tuna permit system. Permits renewed under the automated system are valid
through Dec. 31, 1997. Permit holders who have not yet renewed permits
through the automated system must obtain valid permits for 1997 by Sept.
1. All permit holders must renew their permits annually and are available
by calling 888-USA-TUNA.
Bluefin
Tuna Fishing Categories
- General:
a commercial category; primarily rod & reel, cannot catch small (school)
tuna; permittees can catch as many fish as possible until the quota
is met; must not fish on restricted days (based on school migrations
as well as Japanese holidays).
- Angling:
a recreational category; rod & reel primarily; trophy fish cannot
be sold; can target either school or larger (commercial) categories;
various quotas for different fish sizes in different regions.
- Harpoon:
a commercial category; only fish 73" or larger; catch unlimited until
quota met.
- Incidental
from longlining: untargeted take from longlines (a lenghty line
with many baited hooks used to catch a variety of species); no small
(school) fish allowed; catch unlimited until quota met.
- Purse
Seine: a commercial category in which a net is drawn up and around
a school of fish; very limited number of permits, strict fish size
requirements: cannot land fish less than 73 inches or greater than
xx inches)
- Reserve:
a portion of the quota used as a buffer, to prevent the total tuna
catch from topping the national allotment of fish (which would result
in ICCAT imposed penalties on the U.S.)
Up until
now some boat owners held more than one type of permit. After January
1, 1998 that will no longer be allowed. Those individuals seeking permits
will have to select one category only.
Fish Sizes
(total curved fork length & approx. round weight)
Young
School: less than 27 inches; less than 14 lbs.
School: 27 to less than 47 inches; 14 to less than 66 lbs.
Large School: 47 to less than 59 inches; 66 to less than 135
lbs.
Small Medium: 59 to less than 73 inches; 135 to less than 235
lbs.
Large Medium: 73 to less than 81 inches; 235 to less than 310
lbs.
Giant: 81 inches or greater; 310 lbs. or greater
Bluefin Tuna
1997 Catch Limits
|
-----------------Tuna------------ |
-----------------Permit
Category---------------- |
| Size
Classes |
Angling |
Charter/Party
Boat |
General |
| Young
School or Small Medium |
Prohibited |
Prohibited |
Prohibited |
| School,
Large School or Small Medium* |
1/vessel/day |
1/vessel/day |
1/vessel/day |
| Large
Medium or Giant** |
1/vessel/year |
1/vessel/day |
1/vessel/day |
* Recreational
Season starts January 1. No sale of School, Large School and Small Medium
bluefin
** Commercial Season starts June 1. Large Medium and Giant bluefin may
be sold by Charter/Party Boats amd General category vessels. Once a
Large Medium or Giant bluefin tuna is retained, fishing must cease and
the vessel must return to port. Angling category boats may take one
Large Medium or Giant bluefin tuna per year provided it is reported
to the National Marine Fisheries Service and is not sold.
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Research
Briefs
Students
Begin Monitoring of Sanctuary Water
Aspiring student scientists have made Stellwagen Bank National Marine
Sanctuary their research laboratory as they study the Sanctuary's waters.
The information may help in monitoring how the Sanctuary environment
is changing over time and how human activity may be impacting the Sanctuary.
The Sea
Education Association (SEA), a non-profit marine educational institution
located in Woods Hole, Mass., offers opportunities for undergraduates
to learn about marine science first-hand. Rich Maletesta, Faculty Oceanographer
at SEA, volunteered the services of these young scientists to the Sanctuary
early this year.
Over the
course of each semester, students will periodically profile the water
column in two areas of the Sanctuary, one eastern and one western site,
using a large underwater instrument called a hydrocast. The instrument
collects data on water temperature and salinity and measures chlorophyll
pigment as an indication of the amount of phytoplankton, which is the
foundation of the food web in the Sanctuary. Students also use the hydrocast
to measure the level of phosphates in the water. Phosphate is an essential
nutrient for phytoplankton, but at higher levels it can have negative
effects by stimulating too much growth. Scientists are particularly
interested in the phosphate levels at the western site since a sewage
treatment plant will soon begin dumping treated waste water from a nine-mile
pipe out of Boston (some 16 miles from the Sanctuary's western boundary).
Monitoring of the Sanctuary water may reveal if these phosphates are
affecting the marine ecosystem over time.
Studies
of Seafloor Habitats Continue
Biologists and geologists will be studying seafloor habitats in the
Sanctuary during a July cruise by the ABLE J, a research vessel based
in Boston, Mass. Scientists from the National Undersea Research Center
at the University of Connecticut and the U. S. Geological Survey will
be investigating a type of habitat called "clay pipes" that gill netters
have targeted for years. Whether these areas are important habitats
for invertebrates and fishes, or just an area that draggers have avoided
(thereby making them more accessible for other gear types) will be assessed
in this research. This is the third year of a project that is looking
at variations of landscapes and effects on the distribution and abundance
of fishes. In addition, researchers will use a remotely-operated vehicle
to retrace transects from a 1985 study (originally done with a submersible)
to observe changes over time to the seafloor.
USGS
Releases Dump Site Map
A new map from the U.S. Geological Survey shows Topography, Backscatter
and Interpretation of Sea Floor Features in the Massachusetts Bay Disposal
Site (adjacent to the Sanctuary). Based on 1995 surveys of Massachusetts
Bay, the map will be used for managing and monitoring at the dump site.
Copies of the publication, Open-File Report 96-273 by Page Valentine,
William Danforth, Edwin Roworth and Sara Stillman, are available from
the Sanctuary or the USGS. The map was produced in cooperation with
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Education
Digest
Naturalist
Seminars Started
A new lecture series, designed primarily for whalewatch naturalists,
has been instituted by the Sanctuary in conjunction with the New England
Aquarium. The first round of talks offered participants information
on right whales and bluefin tuna in local waters; background information
on the Sanctuary and its research, enforcement, and education programs;
and a look at seafloor habitats and fish communities. The Sanctuary
plans on extending and expanding this lecture program with further talks
throughout the whale watching season. Naturalists are encouraged to
contact the Sanctuary for more information on this free program.
MIMIFest
Numbers Grow
The 3rd annual Plymouth MIMIFest brought over 2,000 students, teachers
and chaperones to the coast during the third week of May for a series
of activities tied to "The Voyage of the MIMI" curriculum. Sponsored
by the Sanctuary and The Barn School, the Fest offered programs in scrimshaw,
knot-tying, survival at sea, and whale identification. Students were
treated to a harbor cruise and toured the MIMI vessel as well as the
adjacent MAYFLOWER at the State Pier. Peter Marston, aka Captain Granville
(star of the book and video), met with eager students to discuss issues
of interdependency and care for the environment. Each year the number
of participants grows as more schools learn about the program. Sanctuary
is now making plans for next year's MIMIFest. Any teachers interested
in participating with their students should contact the Sanctuary office
for registration materials.
Stellwagen
Bank Conference Planned
On October 25th, the Sanctuary is sponsoring a major Science and Education
Symposium on Stellwagen Bank at the University of Massachusetts, Boston
Harbor Campus. The event will incorporate the annual Massachusetts Bay/Boston
Harbor Educators Conference. From shipwrecks to geological exploration,
the program will provide a wide variety of topics impacting on the Sanctuary.
Intended for teachers, researchers, and graduate students, the symposium
will offer four morning strands of talks on: cetacean studies; biological
sciences; geology and physical sciences; and social sciences. The afternoon
will be filled with wide-ranging workshops designed for educators. The
event is co-sponsored by the Massachusetts Marine Educators, the Massachusetts
Bays Educators Alliance, and the Urban Harbors Institute of the University
of Massachusetts. For more information, contact the Sanctuary.
Photo
Show Moves to Provincetown
The Sanctuary's photographic exhibition, "Creatures of the Bank: an
exploration of the biological diversity of the Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen
Bank National Marine Sanctuary" has opened in Provincetown, Mass. Located
in Merchants Hall at 359 Commercial Street (just a short distance from
MacMillan Wharf and the whale watching fleet), the show includes stunning
underwater photographs by local amateur and professional photographers.
The Center for Coastal Studies is hosting the exhibit; Ian MacMillan
is donating the exhibit space. Previously, the show opened in December
on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC at the House and Senate Office Buildings,
and then moved to the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History. The show is
free to the public.
Spirit
of the Auk: Sanctuary Supports O'Callahan Story
An extinct bird is finding new life in the art of storytelling. When
Richard Wheeler undertook his 1,400-mile-long trek from Newfoundland
to Cape Cod following the migration route of the Great Auk, he related
his tale to Jay O'Callahan. This master storyteller was captured by
the message and drama of the account and decided to make it part of
his repetoire. Thus, "Tell Them: The Spirit of the Auk" was created.
The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary helped fund development
of the story as part of a larger curriculum package based on the voyage
(which was also turned into a NOVA show entitled "The Haunted Cry of
a Long Gone Bird"). Using the auk as a metaphor for the cod and other
groundfish, Wheeler brought attention to the plight of groundfish stocks
and the fishing communities that are dependent on them. The curriculum
package will, in addition to the auk and cod, focus on the right whale
and issues of extinction, survival, abundance, and sustainable use of
resources.
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