fishing

Eighteen years ago, Rob Martin learned that his lobster gear had entangled a humpback whale. He made it his mission to prevent repeats of his experience by becoming a gear specialist for the federal government. Now Martin is among thousands of federal employees who have themselves become entangled in the Trump administration’s sweeping job cuts.

Though there aren’t clear numbers about the abundance of either fish, fishermen have urged the state regulators to set precautionary limits to prevent the stocks from getting depleted. It’s somewhat unusual; often, the fishing community pushes back against new regulations.

Scientists are tracking the abundance of these fish in local waters. You can help.

Lobsters and other sea creatures in areas selected for offshore wind development are about to hear a whole lot of noisy construction. How might it affect them? At a local dock, Cape Cod scientists are making some very loud banging noises to find out.

The expansion is one of the main elements of a decade-long redevelopment plan for the Port of New Bedford, and it aims to serve multiple industries, including commercial fishing and offshore wind.

The Association to Preserve Cape Cod is leading one of several efforts to gain legal standing to participate in the administrative appeal, which is similar to a court case.

Stellwagen Bank marine sanctuary is home to more than 200 sunken shipwrecks, many of which are hotspots for marine debris. Researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution are proposing a robot to clean them up.

Prehistoric animals roam the Massachusetts coastline. And this time of year they’re storming the beaches for their annual spawning season. Here's a closer look at how horseshoe crabs reproduce, and what officials are doing to protect them.

“The firefighting foam … was mostly used in the 70s and 80s, and one additional application in 1997 at the base,” said Heidi Pickard. “This is decades later that you're still seeing high levels in the fish.”

According to officials, the closure will impact some recreational shellfishermen, the city of New Bedford, which had hoped to open up an aquaculture industry within the Clark's Cove area, and two quahog harvesters — effective immediately.