CapeCodToday Blog Chowder

Buoys help ships steer clear of right whales; Red Tide disaster declared for New England; Skipper's family: 'he was our glue'; Casino forum

TODAY's quote:
"History is indeed little more than the register of the crimes, follies and misfortunes of mankind." - Edward Gibbon (1737-1794)

Buoys help ships steer clear of right whales

Three buoys to be tested in Cape Cod Bay this winter

Along the Northeast coast of the United States, right whales are migrating south from their summer feeding grounds in the Bay of Fundy and Nova Scotia to Georgia and Florida. There, they’ll give birth and feed with their young through the winter.

The event draws the interest of whale watchers and researchers. But this year, researchers were delighted to discover something new: right whales swimming near New York City. Right whales have probably passed close to the city before. This time, researchers heard them.

Right whale calls were intercepted by buoys equipped with hard drives to record the sounds. The 10 buoys – three off New York Harbor and seven south of Fire Island – were deployed by Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, N.Y. The buoys recorded ocean noise for 75 days. When the buoys off Fire Island were pulled up and the recordings downloaded in May, analysts heard right whale calls. ... Christian Science Monitor

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Red Tide disaster declared for New England

Declaration clears way for Federal assistance for local shellfishermen

WASHINGTON (WBZ) ― The red tide that kept fisherman out of local shellfishing beds for months this spring and summer has been declared an official disaster by the U.S. Commerce Department. That opens the way for local shellfishermen to receive federal financial assistance.

Governor Deval Patrick requested the federal disaster aid in early September.

High levels of the toxic algae kept hundreds of acres of shellfish beds up and down the New England coast closed between April and July. ... WBZ.com

Official statement for Senator Edward Kennedy's office:

WASHINGTON, DC— In response to the announcement today by Secretary Carlos Gutierrez that shellfish closures due to red tide in the waters off of Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire caused a commercial fishing failure, Melissa Wagoner, spokeswoman for Senator Kennedy, released the following statement.

“Senator Kennedy is delighted that Massachusetts shellfishermen will be receiving much-needed relief for the losses they suffered because of the massive red tide disaster earlier this year. He commends the Bush Administration for issuing the disaster declaration and Governor Patrick for his leadership in seeking the declaration, which Senator Kennedy and the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation strongly supported.”

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Skipper's family: "He was our glue"

Antonio Mesquita: family man, fisherman, loyal friend

NEW BEDFORD — A devoted family man, Antonio Mesquita, the 56-year-old captain of the Costa & Corvo, enjoyed life's simple pleasures: playing dominos or watching televised soccer matches with friends at local fishermen's hangouts.

Late Thursday night, Coast Guard searchers were crisscrossing the open ocean more than 100 miles east of Cape Cod, looking for any sign of the captain, now missing at sea after his fishing boat capsized and sank.

Thursday afternoon, Mr. Mesquita's loved ones spoke adoringly of a man who loved the sound of laughter and shielded his children from hearing about the dangers of the ocean. ... SouthCoastToday.com

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Casino Forum to be held Tuesday, November 18

Can casinos fix the Massachusetts economy, or will they make our problems worse?

Join The Standard-Times Editorial Board this Tuesday, Nov. 18, for a panel discussion featuring a host of influential voices.

A supporter of the Patrick administration casino plan, Sen. Michael Morrissey of Quincy, will speak of the economic benefits, while Rep. William M. Straus of Fairhaven and the tri-town area, a self-described casino skeptic, will share his point of view.

Hear about casino plans for SouthCoast from Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribal Council member Naomi Carney and casino developer Leon Dragone. ... SouthCoastToday.com