New England Aquarium News

Offshore wind developer Vineyard Offshore announced that Rick Musiol, Jr. has joined the company as Director of External Affairs and Community Engagement. In this newly created position, Musiol will lead community engagement and corporate citizenship programs everywhere Vineyard Offshore has a presence.“As Vineyard Offshore expands its work on the East and West Coasts, our top priority is to be an active and engaged member of the community,” said Christian Scorzoni, Chief External Affairs Officer for Vineyard Offshore.

Understanding how changes in shipping traffic and distributions of fin, humpback, and blue whales in the Pacific Ocean affect the risk of whales being struck by ships is the focus of a new study published in the scientific journal, Frontiers. The findings also have implications for highly endangered North Atlantic right whales in the Atlantic Ocean.Dr. Jessica V. Redfern, an Ecologist, Senior Scientist, and Chair of the new Spatial Ecology, Mapping, and Assessment Program (EcoMap) at the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, is the lead author of the study.

Alison Nolan is General Manager and a fourth-generation owner of Boston Harbor Cruises (BHC), a company that moves more than 2.5 million passengers annually on its fleet of 60 vessels with more than 600 daily departures seven ports and more than 30 facilities. But the story of BHC and Alison Nolan transcends raw numbers; as the company and passenger vessel industry are in her DNA, more of a lifestyle than a career. She spoke with Maritime Reporter & Engineering News recently to address the rewards and challenges inherent in her position.

The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce has named passenger vessels operator Boston Harbor Cruises (BHC) as the 2015 Small Business of the Year Awards top honoree. The Small Business of the Year Awards recognizes Greater Boston’s smaller for-profit companies, with annual gross revenues of more than $1 million, who display strong financial performance, achievement in management, workplace excellence, product innovation and community and social responsibility. BHC operates a fleet of 48 vessels on a seasonal daily excursion schedule that includes Boston Harbor sightseeing cruises…

The Campobello Island Whale Rescue team disentangles whales caught in fishermen's gear and nets around the Bay of Fundy off the east coast of Canada. Campobello Whale Rescue Team began after Mackie Greene witnessed a fin whale wrapped in fishing gear while leading a whale watching trip. Since then he and his team have worked with over 20 whales, risking their lives driving a Zodiac up next to animals that can be 40 to 70 or more feet long, and cutting through the lines entangling them.

Professional mariners have a unique responsibility as they transit the world’s oceans. Mariners see a part of this earth that the vast majority of humanity will never witness and, in turn, they become stewards of the ocean by following the numerous regulatory measures aimed at reducing the impact of shipping on the environment. These regulations include, but certainly are not limited to, the use of AIS to avoid collisions and harmful oil spills, ballast water discharge controlling the introduction of invasive species, ship emissions control, and a ban on dumping of plastics at sea.

SeaKits, the developer and provider of the Marine Maintenance System (MMS), has signed an agreement with Boston’s Best Cruises to provide the company’s two workboat fleets with their turnkey MMS Fleet Solutions. SeaKits and Boston’s Best Cruises met at the Passenger Vessel Association meeting in February and began discussions of implementing Fleet Solutions into their Boston and Ft. Lauderdale based fleets. The Boston fleet’s maintenance program will begin operations with MMS by the end of April.

The Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service and scientists from various academic institutions are sponsoring a free national lecture series on marine mammals and human noise. They will hold the eighth lecture in Baltimore, Md. on Sept. 23, 2004. NOAA Fisheries Acoustics Program and other scientific experts in marine mammals and human noise are hosting the programs at public aquariums and marine laboratories around the country, to help increase public knowledge about human noise and marine mammals. The lecture series, Marine Animals and Human Noise, started in March in Florida, and will continue through November 2004.

Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding has delivered a new high-speed whale watcher for the New England Aquarium. The 112-ft. Voyager III, designed by Incat Designs, Sydney, Australia, carries 325 passengers, and is powered by two Detroit Diesel 12V2000 engines, turning Hamilton HM461 waterjets via Twin Disc gears. Each engine produces 965 bhp @ 2,100 rpm, reaching speeds of 30 knots when fully loaded. Passengers can view whales from the vessel's three decks and bow pulpits. Voyager III's 30 ft. beam provides for two heated cabins with upholstered seating for 190 passengers, tables, two snack bars and four heads. Open seating is on the second deck, flybridge and along the walk-around side decks.

Captain Don Lewis of The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) yesterday presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Captain Andrew Bielecki and the crew of the Stena Timer for their efforts and ship management practices during the 2001 northern right whale calving season. The Stena Timer is under charter to Crowley Liner Services and is deployed in the company's Bahamas service. Off the coast of Florida, the calving season lasts from December through the end of March. Warning System (EWS) and authorities from the states of Florida and Georgia monitor the calving area in small planes. The sighting information is passed on to ships passing through the area in an effort to prevent collisions between the ships and the whales.