We Need to Help What's Left of Right Whales

          This was another fun week on the harbor. We had some interesting catches at Camp Harborview this week, two 12.5” winter flounder were caught in our crab traps! It was a really surprising sight to see when we check the traps in the morning. This provided us with excellent opportunities to teach about the history of Boston Harbor, its clean-up, and how organisms were affected when it was heavily polluted. Some of the other campers were more focused on catching seaweed than fish!

One of our trapped flounder!

Campers pose with their catch!

Since this week we get to talk about what we felt was missing from our blogs, I decided to write about some charismatic megafauna. These animals often get a lot of coverage in the media, but we rarely get a chance to work with them. I decided to focus on my favorite whale and the state marine mammal of Massachusetts, the North Atlantic right whale. This whale is endangered with just over 400 individuals left in the wild. Their namesake is owed to whalers who claimed they were the “right” whales to hunt for oil. They were important in establishing the whaling industry in Massachusetts, however, this practice along with new challenges leaves the whales in peril.

Right whales are baleen whales, which means they have specialized sieve-like structures in their mouth that they use to filter out seawater and swallow whatever organisms they caught. Right whales, along with other baleen whales, feed on a variety of organisms from zooplankton to krill to small fish. 

During the prime of the whaling industry, hundreds of large ships called New Bedford their home and would set off on long voyages from there in hopes of harpooning a large right or sperm whale. Right whales provided materials for many commodities in the 18^thand 19^thcenturies. Their blubber would be rendered into oil that would be used primarily for lighting lamps and making soap. The baleen was used for a myriad of different products, from corsets to umbrellas. Even though whaling focus was eventually switched from the right whale onto the sperm whale, due to the valuable waxy secretion from the spermaceti organ, the damage had been done to the North Atlantic right whale populations. 

Close-up of a North Atlantic right whale

Breaching right whale

Although a lot of legislation was passed to protect marine mammals, these whales still face many challenges. The North Atlantic right whale has low calving rates and low numbers, so the species population grows very slowly. Shipping lanes often interfere with the migratory routes of these whales and collisions between ships and whales often occur. Whales have been known to get tangled in commercial fishing gear which can cause premature mortalities. Now, global climate change further threatens these animals by altering where and how much food is available for these whales. Hopefully, improvements to shipping lane regulations, fishing regulations, and climate change legislation are passed to help these creatures rebound. 

This week will be a bittersweet one. We get to go on a fishing trip with the fishing club, but Camp Harborview is ending, meaning we are nearing the end of summer and the beginning of classes. We still have a little bit of time left programming in the harbor, and I plan on enjoying every second of it!

Tight Lines!

-Michael 

A crab-ulous new site

       Hello! Welcome to another blog describing my weekly adventures in the Boston Harbor! This week was completely different from the rest of my summer because I am now working at a new site, Camp Harbor View. The Senior Harbor Educator that was at this site had to leave for the summer, so I got to jump in! The timing was perfect because the site I was at, Blacks Creek, ended last week.

Beautiful CHV shore, with the pier we fish from in the background

       My first week at CHV was great! The Save the Harbor team that works there is awesome and were all patient and eager in teaching me about their site. Camp Harbor View is an awesome summer camp for middle school students that live in Boston. The camp is free of cost to all participants and provides three meals a day, busing to the boat, boat rides to and from the island, camp apparel, and generally four weeks of fun. It is such a pleasure working with an organization that is providing incredible activities to so many, regardless of financial situation. At CHV, Save the Harbor teaches the campers to fish. Each day we have 4 or 5 groups of campers that come out to the pier to fish with us and to learn about the organisms we catch.

Twin day!

       The most delightful part of working at CHV is the awesome campers. My favorite age group to work with is middle school, and these kids are extra awesome. Middle schoolers can be so fun to work with because they are often still willing to get carried away with fun and silliness but you can also begin to have adult-like conversations with them. The Camp Harbor View campers are generally great at polite sarcasm and that makes them all the more fun to teach. It's clear there is a strong sense of support and acceptance at CHV, because even when they first met me campers were generally very comfortable being their true selves. It’s been lovely to be a part of a community where kids are able to have fun and be themselves!

       This week our most exciting catches were two legal size flounders that we found in our crab traps! The campers were fascinated by the flounders but also freaked out by the way they moved and splashed. I was also excited to see how many Rock and Jonah crabs are at Camp Harbor View. These are the two native crab species, and in many places that I have worked around New England they are not nearly as prevalent as the invasive species, Asian shore crabs and green Crabs. Asian shore and green crabs were accidentally brought over to the United States aboard boats from Asia and Europe, respectively. It is believed that one of the main methods of movement of invasive marine species was in the barrels commonly used for shipping. Scientists have postulated that when arriving in the New World crew members would rinse out the barrels in the ocean, accidentally releasing any taggers-on that had entered the empty barrels in their home ports. Both Asian shore and green crabs have few natural predators in US waters and reproduce at very high rates. This means that there are many of them and they compete with the native crab species for food and other resources. In recent years many biologists have reported finding more invasive crab species and less native species when exploring along the shore. Efforts are being taken to more precisely monitor all four species as well as to decrease the abundance of invasive species. The fact that we catch so many native crab species at Camp Harbor View made me excited and hopeful for the status of their populations. On Friday we had some extra exciting catches, a skate and two spider crabs that were carrying eggs! It is great fun to be at a new site where we catch new things and I get to teach about different fishing strategies.

A camper releasing the skate he caught

       All in all, I had an awesome week working at the new site. I am excited to be there next week, but also starting to feel the end-of-summer-sadness. I only have one week left at this job before I move to my fall job. This summer has flown by! Spending every day out exploring the water has been so fun and I am definitely feeling the age-old adage that “time flies when you’re having fun!”

Catch you back for my final blog!

Tessa

A Clean Harbor is a Happy Harbor

Good Morning Harbor Explorers, this week at Camp Harbor view was a special one. As we walk onboard the Provincetown II we hear a special announcement from the captain that we would be arriving to Long Island about an hour later than usual due to the King Tide. The King Tide was the lowest the tide has been this summer which made it difficult to dock, so we got to spend a little extra time going around the harbor. Upon arrival, we were planning to take advantage of this opportunity to go tide pooling. The water was pulled so far back it revealed the life that hides behind those waves. I convince my team of campers into a friendly competition to see who would be able to catch the most Asian Short crabs. The first one to jump with joy was a young 12-year-old named Anthony. He called himself the crab whisperer. He was very confident and took the lead in finding as many crabs as he could. Each one he found he shouted with enthusiasm, and would then race back to the bucket to place them in. I'm pretty sure he won the competition for being fearless and resourceful. Not only did he find lots of crabs but also noticed small pools of water along the rocks that held life in it. If you looked inside you could see a school of minnows swimming back and forth, as well as hermit crabs, crawling between the rocks and hiding in the nooks and crannies. It was hard to fish with

the king tide but it was a lovely view to see how much kelp was actually hidden when it was high tide.
The amount of life in the harbor is important to note because it indicates the quality of the water. Water quality is not only important to the life in the harbor but to the city and people who use this resource year-round, or just for the summer and swimming season. Water quality testing is done by DCR and surrounding cities to verify it is safe to be in or near the water. Sampling and testing are done various times to check bacteria levels, especially after the rain. Save the Harbor Save the Bay is a big help when it comes to testing water quality. Our water quality report card was released by the end of May and displayed a consistent average of the quality of the water in the harbor from within the last 6 years.
With that being said, over by long island we are happy about the water quality of the harbor for it brings us all types of marine life that we can share. For example, a young camper at fishing club caught a baby flounder from the pier on the island. It was just below 12in. but it was big enough to cause a lot of commotion as he reeled it in. The campers were in awe.
If they thought that was impressive, they would
be blown away by the big and wonderful striped bass my fellow O'Bryant girls caught at our fishing derby! The size of those stripers was jaw-dropping
because it was nothing like the baby-sized ones we catch on the pier at Camp Harbor View. I was both proud and impressed by these girls holding up these heavy fish. They were so big, at least half my size.

Stay tuned to see what we catch this week at CHV,

Best of Luck 

Kharliyah 

Hooked on a Feeling

Boston, where the first American lighthouse was built in the harbor in 1716. The harbor an essential part to the city of Boston for tourists and residents. While scrolling on Instagram, I came across the Save the Harbor Save the Bay page and I was instantly interested in their programs and philosophy. I saw that the organization was hiring for a summer Senior Harbor Educator position, my expertise with children and high school students encouraged me to apply. 

I was offered the opportunity to work for Save the Harbor Save the Bay, an organization that is the leading voice for clean water in the region. I moved to Boston from Chicago to work as a Senior Harbor Educator. Back home, I devote a large portion of my time to Best Buddies and I work with children who are on the autism spectrum. I have always had an interest in marine and environmental studies but never had the courage to apply to a position that wasn't my speciality. The first week of orientation changed that for me. 

Orientation, the night before jitters began, thousands of question and worries that I had before my first day (i.e. I don't know how to fish, never met any of the staff before...) On Monday, we met as a team I was kindly greeted by Kristen, Bridget and the rest of the staff that I would be spending my summer with. Everyone was friendly and enthusiastic, those jitters and worries immediately went away. 
Once we got onto to the boat, I realized that- what an opportunity this is, an honor for me to be at SHSB. We made it to Spectacle Island which was interesting to learn how it was a landfill. The story behind it really taught me something, that if there's a group of people that want to change something they could with persistence and patience, once a landfill; now a beautiful beach to swim and hike at. I was hooked on a feeling and I knew that this summer position was off to a great start. There is nothing better than a job that allows you to learn and work simultaneously.

At Spectacle Island, we played this magnificent “Shipwreck” game that tested our ability to listen to directions closely and bond with our peers. I would have to say that was my favorite part of orientation. 

The second day of orientation was all about FISHING. A sport I am not familiar with, but was able to "catch" on quickly. I touched a sea worm- which hands down is the ugliest creature I have came across, it bites, squirms and is hairy. I learned how to to tie a knot and put bait on a hook. I didn't catch a fish, but I held one! (FLOUNDER MAN). Now, I will enjoy fishing because the staff and peers made it an amazing time. Seeing the students get thrilled about catching a fish and not having to use their phone to have a good time gave me a great feeling. In a world of technology, seeing teens enjoy their peer's company and not being glued to their phones is an exceptional thing to see! 

I know this summer will teach me more about marine life but I am positive that this experience will impact me and change the way I look at patience, persistence and enjoying the moment I'm in. 

Crab ya later, 
Katerina 

Inspired by Chef Basil & Does the office of Senator Edward M. Kennedy still exist today?

Hey everyone, What’s up y’all?! I’m back with another bloooog…

So, this week has been very exciting in the sense of all the new things and new the new site that I was working at.

Lil Bro & Big Sis ❤

He wanted to do it all by himself ❤

On Monday and Tuesday I was working at Boston Children’s Museum. Yes, that was my first time working there. My first impression were all those cute babies and the tiny lovely kids running up and down. It’s like you if you enter to this whole new world where everything that surrounds you is laughter, happiness and innocence. It’ll legit makes you forget about your problems and have you with a huge smile.

Tiny Flounder ❤

There, I was doing fishing and touch tank with Kamal, Erin and other coworkers. When we pull up the Crab Trap, there was the tiniest Flounder I ever seen in my life. There was also a tiny Crab so therefore, we decided to name the Touch Tank as the "Infant Touch tank." It makes it easier for us to persuade the kids to hold them and pet them without having the fear of the "big" claws that the regular older crabs has. It was very impressive how the smallest kids would be the ones to fish & patiently wait for something to bite their bate. Some of them made their parents to bring them multiples times, the same day just to use the rods and hopefully catch something.

Fried Black Sea Bass Fillet ❤

Fried/Baked Black Sea Bass ❤

On Wednesday, some of my coworkers and I were cooking with Basil. I was thrilled to see and learn what he was about to teach us. I remember the first time that I met him. It was at Captain Charlie’s  boat where we were fishing. He showed us two recipes on how to cook/eat raw fish which I really loved. I was literally talking about it to all my friends and family that entire week lol. But on Wednesday, it was different, we met in a kitchen meaning that we were gonna actually cook the food. We all introduced ourselves as he was setting everything up. He started to explain what type of fish we were going to cook which was Black Sea Bass, and the ingredients we were going to used to make two different recipes.

One of the things I really liked about it was the way he was explaining what he was doing as he was showing every step. He made eye contact with every single one who was present. He also, let us be part of his creation by allowing us to cut or spread the ingredients around the fish.

I was struggling for real!

Short story: So, as you guys may know I’m a little shy but also I like to be in things, and in this case I wanted to help. So when Basil said “Anyone would like to volunteer?” not even a second pass when I said “Me” without knowing where I was getting myself into. I was helping removing the skin & OMG! That was the hardest thing ever. I even started to believe that as soon I touched that knife something happened to it or the fish that just made it very hard for me to slide the knife. Guys I was literally trying, I put all my strength to it but I couldn’t help it.. That was tough!

That teached me a lesson and is that we shouldn’t take people’s job for granted, it takes a lot if time and dedication to make the job easy and enjoyable. & I could honestly see that Basil, besides all the difficulties that Fishing and preparing it to be cooked can bring, that was something he was willing to do all over again.  He’s enthusiasm and the way he expresses himself when it comes to fishing, can easily defined the quote “ Do what you love & you’ll never work.” & he may not realized it but that’s how people get inspired to follow their dream job.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy Office ❤

On Friday we all went to EMK (Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate.)  Were we got to learn the history of the Senates and also become Senators in training. We also get to experience the steps of voting by actually voting for what best suits each of us. Also, we got to see a replica of the office of Senator Edward M. Kennedy. What I love the most about his office is that the way he’s desk was arranged because it was facing the drawings and photos of his family which I think is the most important thing. At the end we head to the Senate Chamber were we all participated in a live floor and cast our votes. I really liked it because some of my coworkers were able to express their thoughts openly and were heard by us.

This week has been a very fun week were I got to experience different things that will help me later in my future. It gets better and better every week and I honestly can’t wait to see what I’ll be doing next week.

Hope you enjoyed this blog! & like I always say "Stay tuned for my next blog!"

~ Esther ❤

Quick Update

Prepping the ceviche.

To kick off the summer, all the staff attended a mandatory two day orientation, where we learned and reviewed expectations, tasks, more information about the job, and so on. Things got a little more exciting the second day. After we gathered and learned about pirates, we got on a boat and started to fish. We caught some black sea bass, and some scupps. Not only that, but a chef taught us how to filet, and cook ceviche and sashimi with lime juice. The ceviche was surprisingly good, because it did not have the distinct salty, seafood taste that fish usually has. After orientation closed, we were assigned our sites, and I was given Camp Harbor View (CHV).

CHV is a large camp located on Long Island, and I teach kids in the fishing club how to fish, the biology of crabs, and how to take care of the harbor. These kids are very great to work with, because they have enough experience and knowledge to achieve things, such as holding a crab, or even catching one! The kids that signed up for fishing club love this, and Save the Harbor at CHV added a new activity: fish printing! Fish printing is a way Japanese sailors kept their great catches to show to their wives and friends, but through art. Kids love to fish print because it is a hands on task, and some like it because they get to touch the fish!

Some days start off slow at CHV, but when it comes to fishing, you just need to be patient. Patience is key because if you constantly reel up the rod, your chances of catching something become slim to none. The kids at fishing club understand this, and so their chances became larger and larger. They practiced jigging their rods, and spotting birds for more marine life to catch. Fortunately, we caught a few skates, one in the crab trap, and three on a rod! The biggest surprise was when we lifted up the lobster traps. There was a skate, but we seen those before so no biggie...that was until we found a pretty big sized flounder! The kids loved it, but unfortunately we had to toss it in the water because that was the group's decision. That is just the tale at CHV.

July 10, 2018, I made my grand return to All Access Boston Harbor. I primarily worked at this site all of last summer, and I really enjoyed it. From the swimming at Spectacle Island, to the horrific screams at the dark tunnel, every moment was a memorable one at All Access. I made a few friends from different community centers as I told about all the fascinating things they could do at the island. Some were afraid to go through the dark tunnel, which is completely reasonable, but they were brave enough to touch, or even hold a crab! They made the best out of their time there and loved their time there. They accepted these challenges, and the BASE kids brought a challenge to a few of us on the team.

Dex and I with a few amazing BASE kids teamed up to face Damani and Kamal's team "The Explosions". They were an intense team with a lot of heart and determination to take us down. Kick ball however is a game that can take a drastic turn if you play it right. We were down 0-2, but the Blue Dogs can fight back fast. We scored to grand slams, and one runner to end the game 9-2. This one kids would not accept the fact that we did not cheat, and kept screaming " CHEATORRRR", but he said that was the funnest game of kick ball he ever played. The question now is, can anyone take down the Blue Dogs? Guess we'll find out later.

The New Team!

Signing out,
Qalid Hassan

Finally Fish!

Our first skate and the lucky fisherman

After a crab-filled summer at Spectacle Island, this week finally broke our fishless curse! I was in charge of managing fishing on Thursday when our luck changed. The first group to fish was filled with energetic kids ready for anything to bite the hooks. After just a few minutes, one young man started shouting that he thought he caught something. I ran over to help him reel up a skate! We got the skate up and onto the pier where Kharliyah and Patrice carefully removed the hook from the spiky skate's mouth. A lot of the children did not know what type of fish this was or confused it with a stingray. After everyone had a chance to see our pokey pal, we sent him back into the ocean. 

When the next group arrived to fish, I told them they had some big shoes to fill after the previous group's achievements. Within a matter of moments, a camper from Tricklin Falls Camp claimed that he had caught something as well. We expected another fish, but instead we discovered that he caught an old and forgotten crab trap. The trap was filled with a few small green crabs, a tiny spider crab, and even a few little fish! One crab had a baby flounder clutched in his claws. When we removed this crab from the trap, he waived his baby flounder around proudly as if he was showing off his own catch. I managed to free the founder from the crab's grasp and gently plopped it back into the water. We let the other little fish go and kept the small crabs in the touch tank for other kids to enjoy. 

Catching crab traps

Baby spider crab

After our first two eventful groups, we continued to catch plenty of crabs left and right. At one point, Patrice pulled up a line to reveal that she had snagged a pregnant crab in the process of giving birth! As she was in the middle of releasing her eggs, we quickly let her return to sea to ensure that her babies had a safe delivery. 

A crab and his flounder friend

I think this has been my most successful day of fishing ever! We encountered so many interesting creatures and it really boosted the kids spirits to see that they could find such cool things in the ocean. I hope this is just the beginning of a bountiful summer.

Sea you out there,

Jennifer Leiendecker

Hull Illumination Night

Hey everyone!
This weekend I was fortunate enough to work an event at the Hull Illumination night, which is a really cool event that culminates in a lighting of the Boston Harbor with road flares spaced evenly along the Hull shoreline, which is extremely beautiful. Having many friends in Hull, I've gone to this event as a member of the public many times, but this is the first time that I've ever worked it. I was actually not supposed to even work this event, but due to high winds the event I was meant to work was cancelled, so I was lucky enough to go to Illumination Night. I was very excited to be able to work this event, as it is near and dear to my heart, and though the weather was less than ideal, and we may have had fewer guests than we would have liked, I fully enjoyed the experience.

Our setup for fish printing, featuring a
genuine flounder!

As usual, our team comprised of myself, Briana, Garrett, Eric, and Jaiden, found ourselves doing some fish printing for the great people of Hull. As usual, I found myself silently delighting every time people realized it was, in fact, a real fish that we were using. The reactions always range from disgust, to fascination, to fear, and more. It was funny watching one young girl timidly poking the fish with her bare finger and then jumping back as if it would react in some way. Of course, we made sure to teach everyone about the life cycle of a flounder, and how it begins with eyes on both sides of its head in its larval stage. Once it metamorphoses into its juvenile stage, one eye migrates to the other side, and the flounder goes from being bilaterally symmetrical, to asymmetrical and swimming with one side on the bottom of the ocean floor. If you already knew this, chances are you're a marine biologist or have attended one of our fish printing sessions. If you did not already know this, then congratulations on your new fun fact!

The fish print by my mother, proudly displayed
on our mantle!

As I mentioned previously, our guest count was lower than I would have liked, likely since it was cold and a bit overcast. However, we still had many quality visits, but two in particular stood out to me. The first was a visit from my parents, where my mom was able to do a fish print. It was nice to be able to share the work I've been doing this summer in a way with them that is not simply a story, but the real deal!

The other was a young girl who came by and asked how much it cost to do a fish print. When we told her it was free, and she could do one, she excitedly ran back to her mother, and while I couldn't hear what she was saying, you could tell she was over the moon with the idea. And I am over the moon with the idea that we were able to in some way engage this girls excitement over the meshing of art and science, which of course is the entire point of our work here at Save the Harbor.




Until next time, when there's a slight chance one of my eyes will have migrated!
-Zach

Is that a real fish?!

Fish printing is great for any age!

"Is that a real fish?!" That was definitely the most asked question of the day. Today, three staff members and I traveled to Yirrell Beach in Winthrop. This year marked Winthrop's 20th annual Family Day at the Beach, and this landmark year for it was certainly amazing. The day was full of food, games, music, prizes, competitions, and even water slides! We were simply amazed at how many people came out to enjoy the beach and spend time with their families on this day.

A very colorful fish print!

To add to the festivities, Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay attended the event, providing folks with some educational fun as always! Our activity of the day was the ever-popular fish printing. Fish printing dates back to the 1800s when Japanese fishermen used it as a way to record their catches long before technology could. If I caught a fish today I would simply take a picture of it to record what it looked like such as; shape, size, color, and other attributes. Since then it has truly developed into an art of its own and even a fun arts and craft to do with children like we did today!


Hope to print with you soon!
Briana

Catching Flounders At Piers Park!

Yesterday was a cool, foggy day at Piers Park. We did the usual Monday routine of welcoming all the kids and playing the name game, where you say your name, favorite food, and favorite sea animal. After that the kids played 'fishy fishy cross my ocean' and then we went down to the dock. Some kids went sailing, others kayaking, and the rest stayed fishing and baiting the crab traps. After a while of being on the dock, all I heard was the kids screaming "WE CAUGHT A FISH! WE CAUGHT A FISH!" Quickly I rushed over to the fishing rods only to see that it wasn't on any of the fishing rods, instead it was in one of the crab traps! And there wasn't only one flounder, there were two!

This was very exciting for the kids and they started asking all kinds of questions like "why are their eyes like that?" "what do they eat?" "can we keep them?" Many of them wanted to touch and hold them and we had to remind them that they couldn't be taken out of the water for too long because that is how they breathe. They were so excited to hold the flounders and learn more about them, I was pretty amazed too because it was my first time catching a fish at Piers Park, even if it was just in the crab trap.

The harbor is truly alive!

We found Ariel's little buddy!

Today was a quite exciting day at Piers Park. The morning on the dock started off the same as it usually does. The kids coming down to the dock and in such a frenzy to pull up the crab traps. As water was put into the buckets for the touch tanks, some kids were pulling up the crab traps. We caught so many Green Crabs. As Amanda and I were watching the kids having some interactions with the crabs, over on the other side of the dock, Sterling comes jogging over with excitement. As I was in the middle of telling him, "No jogging" he said, "We caught a flounder, we caught a flounder." I sprung up so fast to see if it was true or not. Oh best believe that it was so very much true. Unfortunately, we caught the flounder in the crab trap and not actually with a fishing rod. The kids were still excited about the discovery. Camila wanted to hold the flounder because she had never seen a real one before.

This is Camilla 

After the kids had their fun with the flounder, we did the most humane thing for the flounder and threw it back into its natural habitat. It was the right thing to do. Clearly, we waited for the kids to go up and have lunch before we let the fish go. They seemed to be so attached to the fish, as they all wanted to keep it as a pet. This was the second fish caught at Piers Park. The first time that a fish was caught, again in a crab trap, I was not there to experience it.

The first fish, a Tautog!

 But, I was here this time. 

Til next time

-Ary