This photo is of the White Shark Marianne as she swims under the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy chase boat. Photo credit Dr. Greg Skomal.
Marblehead Shark Club & Oysters
Marblehead Shark Club will be building and maintaining an Oyster Upweller in Marblehead with the direction and support of Mass Oyster Project.
The upweller will be located on the harbor at Front Street, thanks to the generous donation of location and support of Marblehead Boatyard Assoc.
The project based learning opportunity is funded by The Friends of Marblehead Public Schools. We will start with 60,000 spat (baby oysters) in June, and expect to re-introduce dime size maturing oysters into the wild in Mass Bay.
This video explains the impacts provided by restoring the oyster populations through out our Bay.
A heart felt thank you to all involved! :)
Beluga Whales
At the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, Jonathan gets up close and personal with Beluga whales as he learns what its like to train and take care of these thousand pound marine mammals. ********************************************************************** If you like Jonathan Bird's Blue World, don't forget to subscribe! You can join us on Facebook!
This week we learned about Beluga whales, also called white whales, have white skin that is adapted to its habitat in the Arctic. The word "beluga" comes from the Russian word for "white." They aren't the same kind of white whale in "Moby-Dick," however. That was a white sperm whale. They also are not related to the sturgeon of the same name, which is the source of a type of caviar.
Belugas are related to another type of white whale — the "unicorn" whale known as the narwhal. However, instead of a large horn on its forehead, like the narwhal has, the beluga has a round bump called a melon. The melon is used to make many different communication sounds and facial expressions. It also aids in echolocation.
Oyster Upweller
Marblehead Shark Club is partnering with Mass Oyster Project to build an Oyster Upweller in Marblehead to help with their restoration and conservation efforts.
Example of an Oyster Reef protecting marsh grasses
MASS OYSTER PROJECT - Thier Story
Once upon a time, huge underwater reefs made up of tens of thousands of oysters lined our coast. These reefs were ten or twenty feet high and kept the large waves kicked up by Nor'easters from hitting our coasts.
Each oyster on those reefs filtered 40 gallon of water a day, keeping costal waters clear. The reefs were home to plants, which spread and prevented sand and beaches from being swept out to sea. On top of that, the oysters provided a natural filtration which kept coastal water clear. Reefs sheltered hundreds of other species, dramatically increasing biodiversity.
Over time, those reefs were mined out for food or destroyed for convenience.
The Massachusetts Oyster Project is working to restore oyster populations to estuaries around the state. We started this to improve water quality and offset storm run-off pollution, but we found that there were other significant benefits. We are improving fishing by supporting the food chain; 200 other species will live in an oyster reef.
Oyster shells help offset ocean acidification at the local level.
Oyster reefs can also help combat the increased storm surge brought about by climate change.
Over 90% of every dollar we raise goes back into our waters.
We have changed the thinking around Boston Harbor and oysters by confirming that they once were here in vast numbers, and that with a bit of work, they can be again. - Mass Oyster Project
Shark Club & Art
Fins! Art Class at Marblehead Shark Club. Holiday Ornaments. #beSharkSmart #MarbleheadShark #DontFearTheFin
