Never fear, they'll cope.
Norman Foster, the leading British architect who designed the Hearst Tower in New York, has added yachts to his résumé, recently creating a string of vessels for luxury boating company YachtPlus.
11/29/07
Yachts All Around
Architects for rich people are falling on hard times, or at least not living it up quite the same way.
Never fear, they'll cope.
Never fear, they'll cope.
Eye on Safety
NTSB: More Emphasis Needed On Boating Safety
WASHINGTON, DC— Recent actions taken by the marine industry and state legislatures to advance boating safety are moving the industry in the right direction, but additional measures are required to further reduce recreational boating fatalities, injuries and accidents, maintains National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Mark V. Rosenker.
In his address at the Marine Retailers Association of America (MRAA) annual conference in Las Vegas Wednesday, Rosenker focused on the use of personal flotation devices, which is on the NTSB’s Most Wanted list of safety recommendations, and the safety of sole state passenger vessels.
11/28/07
Name the Whales
Over at Greenpeace, they're having a whale-naming event.
Vote before Dec.7
Whale naming competition
More than 11,000 possible whale names were submitted but we are now down to the last 30 possible whale names...which ones will be given to the wonderful humpback whales currently travelling on the Great Whale Trail?
Choose your favourite name from among the 30 below and hit the submit button at the bottom of the page. You can only vote once but you can ask as many friends to vote as you like.
So vote now and get all your friends to vote too.Aiko - means 'little love' in Japanese
Amal - means 'hope' in Arabic
Anahi - means 'immortal' in Persian
Atticus - named for Atticus Finch, the main character in the famous book "To Kill A Mockingbird"
Aurora - is Latin for 'dawn'
Babu - means 'grandfather or old man' in Swahili
Bumi - (pronounced 'boo-me') means 'Earth' in Malay
Cian - (pronounced keen or kee-an) means 'ancient or enduring' in old Irish
Echo - means...well, echo
Gana - means 'song' in Hindi
Humphrey - was just too popular not to have here
Jacques - named for Jacques Cousteau, environmental activist, educator and explorer of the oceans
Kaimana - means 'divine power of the ocean' in Polynesian
Kigai - means 'strong spirit' in Japanese
Libertad - means 'freedom' in Spanish
Vote before Dec.7
Whale naming competition
More than 11,000 possible whale names were submitted but we are now down to the last 30 possible whale names...which ones will be given to the wonderful humpback whales currently travelling on the Great Whale Trail?
Choose your favourite name from among the 30 below and hit the submit button at the bottom of the page. You can only vote once but you can ask as many friends to vote as you like.
So vote now and get all your friends to vote too.Aiko - means 'little love' in Japanese
Amal - means 'hope' in Arabic
Anahi - means 'immortal' in Persian
Atticus - named for Atticus Finch, the main character in the famous book "To Kill A Mockingbird"
Aurora - is Latin for 'dawn'
Babu - means 'grandfather or old man' in Swahili
Bumi - (pronounced 'boo-me') means 'Earth' in Malay
Cian - (pronounced keen or kee-an) means 'ancient or enduring' in old Irish
Echo - means...well, echo
Gana - means 'song' in Hindi
Humphrey - was just too popular not to have here
Jacques - named for Jacques Cousteau, environmental activist, educator and explorer of the oceans
Kaimana - means 'divine power of the ocean' in Polynesian
Kigai - means 'strong spirit' in Japanese
Libertad - means 'freedom' in Spanish
11/25/07
Guarding the Oceans
Scientists urge $2-3 billion study of ocean health
OSLO (Reuters) - Marine scientists called on Sunday for a $2-3 billion study of threats such as overfishing and climate change to the oceans, saying they were as little understood as the Moon.
A better network of satellites, tsunami monitors, drifting robotic probes or electronic tags on fish within a decade could also help lessen the impact of natural disasters, pollution or damaging algal blooms, they said.
"This is not pie in the sky ... it can be done," said Tony Haymet, director of the U.S. Scripps Institution of Oceanography and chairman of the Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans (POGO).
He told Reuters that a further $2-3 billion would roughly match amounts already invested in ocean research, excluding more costly satellites. New technologies were cheaper and meant worldwide monitoring could now be possible.
"Silicon Valley has come to the oceans," said Jesse Ausubel, a director of the Census of Marine Life that is trying to describe life in the seas.
11/24/07
11/23/07
LI Oil Spill
Crews cleaning up oil along Long, Atlantic beaches
BY JOHN VALENTI
Environmental clean-up crews clad in yellow Tyvek worksuits combed the shores of Atlantic Beach and Long Beach Friday morning, collecting spilled fuel oil that began washing ashore on Thanksgiving Day. U.S. Coast Guard officials said there is still no indication where the oil came from.
Affected by the spill of what is estimated to be about 500 gallons of No. 6 crude oil -- a heavy, unrefined fuel that likely was stored cargo in a tanker and not fuel used to power a ship -- is about 3,000 linear feet of beach in Atlantic Beach and 1,500 linear feet of beachfront in Long Beach.
Crews are hopeful the congealed oil can be cleared from the beaches by high tide Friday, which is expected around 6 p.m.
The oil on shore ranges from specks the size of BBs or pellets to bigger globs the size of fried eggs. Officials said the cold weather and the heaviness of the crude oil helped keep it together in blobs, rather than being spread out in a film.
A spokesman for the Department of Environmental Conservation, Bill Fonda, said: "We haven't found any impact to wildlife yet." He said there was no sign the oil had diluted into the water -- and that most of the migratory birds had left the area, minimizing impact.
US Coast Guard
BY JOHN VALENTI
Environmental clean-up crews clad in yellow Tyvek worksuits combed the shores of Atlantic Beach and Long Beach Friday morning, collecting spilled fuel oil that began washing ashore on Thanksgiving Day. U.S. Coast Guard officials said there is still no indication where the oil came from.
Affected by the spill of what is estimated to be about 500 gallons of No. 6 crude oil -- a heavy, unrefined fuel that likely was stored cargo in a tanker and not fuel used to power a ship -- is about 3,000 linear feet of beach in Atlantic Beach and 1,500 linear feet of beachfront in Long Beach.
Crews are hopeful the congealed oil can be cleared from the beaches by high tide Friday, which is expected around 6 p.m.
The oil on shore ranges from specks the size of BBs or pellets to bigger globs the size of fried eggs. Officials said the cold weather and the heaviness of the crude oil helped keep it together in blobs, rather than being spread out in a film.
A spokesman for the Department of Environmental Conservation, Bill Fonda, said: "We haven't found any impact to wildlife yet." He said there was no sign the oil had diluted into the water -- and that most of the migratory birds had left the area, minimizing impact.
US Coast Guard
11/22/07
Drought Leaves Them High and Dry
The drought is tough for everyone in the Southeast, including boaters.
Boaters become fish out of water
By SCOTT BERNARDE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It was 4 p.m. Tuesday and traffic was gridlocked.
Not usually big news, but when vehicles are lined up bumper-to-trailer like they were at Lake Lanier's Shoal Creek boat ramp, it causes some grumbling, a few beeps of the horns and raised eyebrows.
The drought has closed most of Lake Lanier's boat ramps. Deanna and James Gabriel take their boat out at Shoal Creek boat ramp on Tuesday.
The sun was getting low, and boaters coming off the lake hoped to get home for dinner. And those putting in, knowing the striped bass were actively feeding in the late afternoon, wanted to catch a few fish before dusk.
The drought has been tough on boaters this fall. With water levels at lakes Lanier and Allatoona nearing record lows, boats ramps are being closed on a weekly basis. Shoal Creek, located off Buford Dam Road on the south end of the lake, is one of only two U.S. Army Corps of Engineers boat ramps on Lanier that were still open this past week (Tidwell to the west is the other one). It's not much better at Allatoona, which has only four public ramps open — Blockhouse, Galt's Ferry, Cooper Branch No. 1 and Red Top Mountain State Park (at Bethany Bridge) ramps.
11/20/07
Changing the Oceans
And not for the better.
A World Dying, But Can We Unite To Save It?
By Geoffrey Lean
The Independent
Humanity is rapidly turning the seas acid through the same pollution that causes global warming, the world’s governments and top scientists agreed yesterday. The process — thought to be the most profound change in the chemistry of the oceans for 20 million years — is expected both to disrupt the entire web of life of the oceans and to make climate change worse.
11/18/07
Too Much Fishing?
Greenpeace Slams 'Unsustainable' Tuna Quota
ANKARA (AFP) - An international commission designed to protect bluefin tuna stocks has effectively increased the fishing quota for 2008 from what was already an "unsustainable" level, Greenpeace said Sunday.
"Countries are approving a bigger quota for a species that is on the verge of collapse instead of acting immediately to save it," said Sebastian Losada, Greenpeace Spain's Oceans Campaigner.
The environmental pressure group said the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), held in Turkeyhad approved a nearly 1,000-tonne increase in the 2008 catch.
Organisers issued no statement on the conclusions of the meeting -- attended by a Greenpeace delegation -- in the Turkish Mediterranean resort of Antalya.
11/17/07
Democrats on the Environment
Three Democratic presidential candidates, Dennis Kucinich, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, are going to be discussing environmental issues at 5 p.m. Eastern today.
I tried the video link a little while ago but it wasn't working but if it's up and running later, I'll post it at Going Green
I wonder where Mr. Interior, Bill Richardson, is? And Obama?
Grist also has a breakdown on where the candidates, Democratic and Republican, stand on environmental issues.
I tried the video link a little while ago but it wasn't working but if it's up and running later, I'll post it at Going Green
I wonder where Mr. Interior, Bill Richardson, is? And Obama?
Grist also has a breakdown on where the candidates, Democratic and Republican, stand on environmental issues.
11/15/07
East Hampton Dory Squad
A couple of Florida lawyers who specialize in marine/admiralty issues found this video of the East Hampton Dory Rescue Squad, which is, I believe, defunct. It's marvelous. Good find by the lawyers.
Venter Explores Ocean Diversity
TED--Technology,Entertainment,Design--puts together conferences on thinking big ideas. Worth your while and great video.
11/13/07
Maritime Program
Here's a maritime education program right in our backyard. Or backwaters.
Kingsborough program gives hands-on boating experience
BY DENISE ROMANO
DAILY NEWS WRITER
Ahoy!
The Maritime Technology program at Kingsborough Community College is truly one-of-a-kind. Students get hands-on boating experience, learning both operation and repair of vessels, helping to launch them into interesting careers.
"Most move right out of college and into a job," said Kingsborough President Regina Peruggi. "Young people should think of careers on the water."
Graduates of the two-year program receive Brown Water licenses, permitting them to work on watercraft inshore, in coastal waters and harbors. Blue Water licenses are issued for working in international waters.
"The jobs are here in our waters," said Capt. John Nappo, who helps run the program, adding that it's good for students who want to stay close to home.
Kingsborough program gives hands-on boating experience
BY DENISE ROMANO
DAILY NEWS WRITER
Ahoy!
The Maritime Technology program at Kingsborough Community College is truly one-of-a-kind. Students get hands-on boating experience, learning both operation and repair of vessels, helping to launch them into interesting careers.
"Most move right out of college and into a job," said Kingsborough President Regina Peruggi. "Young people should think of careers on the water."
Graduates of the two-year program receive Brown Water licenses, permitting them to work on watercraft inshore, in coastal waters and harbors. Blue Water licenses are issued for working in international waters.
"The jobs are here in our waters," said Capt. John Nappo, who helps run the program, adding that it's good for students who want to stay close to home.
Seabreeze Goes Free
"Seabreeze" the bottle-nosed dolphin was released yesterday. You can track his path here.
Also, the Riverhead Foundation has scheduled lectures on sea turtle rescues.
Also, the Riverhead Foundation has scheduled lectures on sea turtle rescues.
11/12/07
11/10/07
'Seabreeze' Going Home
"Seabreeze," a bottled-nosed dolphin rescued from muddy water near Bellmore in July and treated by the Riverhead Foundation, will be released to the sea on Monday.
LI Sound Dredging
BOSTON, Nov. 9--Six public meetings have been scheduled during the week of Nov. 26 to allow public input on the "Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement" related to the development of a Dredged Material Management Plan for the navigation facilities of Long Island Sound harbors. Three meetings each will be held in communities in New York and Connecticut.
The purpose of developing the Programmatic EIS is to evaluate the overall impacts of alternatives identified in the development of a Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP) for dredged material that would be generated in the maintenance or the improvement of navigation facilities in Long Island Sound with respect to the environment of the Sound and its tributaries.
The DMMP will be developed by the Army Corps of Engineers in conjunction with representatives from U.S. EPA (Regions 1 and 2), N.Y. Dept. of State, N.Y. Dept. of Environmental Conservation, Conn. Dept. of Environmental Protection, Conn. Dept. of Transportation, Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The Long Island hearings are:
Tuesday, November 27 Afternoon 1 - 4 pm Location: Diplomatic Ballroom Address: Danfords on the Sound Meeting and Conference Center 25 East Broadway Port Jefferson, NY 11777 Telephone: 631-928-5200 Directions:
Tuesday, November 27 Evening 7 - 10 pm Location: Long Island Room Address: Holiday Inn in Westbury- Long Island 369 Old Country Road Carle Place, NY 11514 Telephone: 516-997-5000
The purpose of developing the Programmatic EIS is to evaluate the overall impacts of alternatives identified in the development of a Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP) for dredged material that would be generated in the maintenance or the improvement of navigation facilities in Long Island Sound with respect to the environment of the Sound and its tributaries.
The DMMP will be developed by the Army Corps of Engineers in conjunction with representatives from U.S. EPA (Regions 1 and 2), N.Y. Dept. of State, N.Y. Dept. of Environmental Conservation, Conn. Dept. of Environmental Protection, Conn. Dept. of Transportation, Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The Long Island hearings are:
Tuesday, November 27 Afternoon 1 - 4 pm Location: Diplomatic Ballroom Address: Danfords on the Sound Meeting and Conference Center 25 East Broadway Port Jefferson, NY 11777 Telephone: 631-928-5200 Directions:
Tuesday, November 27 Evening 7 - 10 pm Location: Long Island Room Address: Holiday Inn in Westbury- Long Island 369 Old Country Road Carle Place, NY 11514 Telephone: 516-997-5000
Boating in China
Interesting, from a paper in Maine. China wants to build a recreational boating industry.
Deputy Secretary General of China's shipbuilding industry visits locally
The top government official charged with developing recreational boating in China visited Maine last week on his way to the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show. The visit was a follow-up to the Maine boat builders representing the U.S. at the China International Boat Show in April, through the support of Maine's North Star Alliance Initiative.
Mr. Yang Xinfa, Deputy Secretary General of China's Shipbuilding Industry, is the head of two of the most important government sponsored professional organizations in China -- The China Boat Industry and Trade Association, and the China Association of Shipbuilding Industry. He is instrumental in developing the recreational boating industry in China. Yang came to Maine to see first-hand what the state has to offer in terms of boats, marine products and boating lifestyle.
'As China's economy continues to grow, luxury boats are desired as a new status symbol," said Elaine Scott, director of marketing/communications for Maine's Department of Economic and Community Development and director of market/business development for the North Star Alliance.
Deputy Secretary General of China's shipbuilding industry visits locally
The top government official charged with developing recreational boating in China visited Maine last week on his way to the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show. The visit was a follow-up to the Maine boat builders representing the U.S. at the China International Boat Show in April, through the support of Maine's North Star Alliance Initiative.
Mr. Yang Xinfa, Deputy Secretary General of China's Shipbuilding Industry, is the head of two of the most important government sponsored professional organizations in China -- The China Boat Industry and Trade Association, and the China Association of Shipbuilding Industry. He is instrumental in developing the recreational boating industry in China. Yang came to Maine to see first-hand what the state has to offer in terms of boats, marine products and boating lifestyle.
'As China's economy continues to grow, luxury boats are desired as a new status symbol," said Elaine Scott, director of marketing/communications for Maine's Department of Economic and Community Development and director of market/business development for the North Star Alliance.
11/9/07
Boating Test Online
Boating safety class goes online
Would-be mariners in Ohio can now take a required boating safety class online so that they may legally operate watercraft in Ohio under an agreement signed yesterday by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Watercraft.
The online course, offered by Boat U.S. Foundation, would be in place of more traditional boating safety courses that are required for any boater operating a powered craft with more than 10 horsepower.
Would-be mariners in Ohio can now take a required boating safety class online so that they may legally operate watercraft in Ohio under an agreement signed yesterday by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Watercraft.
The online course, offered by Boat U.S. Foundation, would be in place of more traditional boating safety courses that are required for any boater operating a powered craft with more than 10 horsepower.
11/4/07
Safeguarding the Ocean's Food Supply
Read about overfishing the planet's oceans and how to avoid it, safe mercury levels, loss of coastal wetlands, water pollution and more.
11/3/07
Noel's Effects at Robert Moses
Fred, at Hurricane City, posted some nice photos today of the waves at Robert Moses.
Lecture on Waters at Stony Brook
SoMAS Presents: Critical Issues Facing Long Island’s Marine Waters
11/9/2007 Start Time: 7:30 PM
"An Assessment of Pollution Problems in a South Shore Estuary: The Forge River"--Bruce Brownawell and Christopher Gobler, Associate Professors
Expanding populations of Suffolk County’s shorelines have led to a host of environmental problems in recent years. Located in Mastic, NY, the Forge River exemplifies this situation as the tributary which has recently experienced low oxygen levels, water discoloration, foul odors, and die-offs of marine life. In 2006, Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences began working with local government agencies and citizens groups to document the extent of the environmental problems and to assist in devising solutions to improve the quality of the Forge River. This presentation will represent a status of these efforts.
The lecture will be followed by a reception.
11/9/2007 Start Time: 7:30 PM
"An Assessment of Pollution Problems in a South Shore Estuary: The Forge River"--Bruce Brownawell and Christopher Gobler, Associate Professors
Expanding populations of Suffolk County’s shorelines have led to a host of environmental problems in recent years. Located in Mastic, NY, the Forge River exemplifies this situation as the tributary which has recently experienced low oxygen levels, water discoloration, foul odors, and die-offs of marine life. In 2006, Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences began working with local government agencies and citizens groups to document the extent of the environmental problems and to assist in devising solutions to improve the quality of the Forge River. This presentation will represent a status of these efforts.
The lecture will be followed by a reception.
NJ Scalloping Season Extended
New scallop-fishing regulations issued to save sea turtles
Chain netting draped across sea scallop dredges will be the government's preferred precaution for reducing accidental captures of sea turtles, with a decision this week to abandon seasonal closures that had been used to protect turtles on scallop grounds off New Jersey.
Environmental groups and fishermen alike were surprised by Thursday's decision by the New England Fishery Management Council, which sets rules for the East Coast scallop fishery.
"We know there are turtles in these areas. We should be taking action on the (turtle) hotspots we know," said Gib Brogan of the environmental group Oceana, which advocates such "time and area" closures to reduce contact between migrating turtles and the fishing fleet.
But the National Marine Fisheries Service recommended not closing any areas, now that it requires the use of dredges modified with what fishermen call turtle chains, said Brogan and Patricia Fiorelli, a spokeswoman for the New England council.
"The issue is whether pushing (fishing) effort around is effective. Turtle distributions are very patchy." Fiorelli said. "Last year, there were no takes in the dredge fishery. There were some this year," even with the area closures, she said.
Regulations associated with the federal Endangered Species Act define "take" as any potentially hazardous physical contact with turtles. Researchers working with the scallop industry came up with chain mats across the dredge openings as a way to avoid the accidental capture and drowning of the air-breathing reptiles.
Oceana activists argue that turtles can still be struck and injured by dredges working the sea floor. Seasonal time and area closures on one area called the Elephant Trunk "keeps the gear out of the water while the turtles are there" from late summer until Nov. 1, David Allison of Oceana said in a statement.
Chain netting draped across sea scallop dredges will be the government's preferred precaution for reducing accidental captures of sea turtles, with a decision this week to abandon seasonal closures that had been used to protect turtles on scallop grounds off New Jersey.
Environmental groups and fishermen alike were surprised by Thursday's decision by the New England Fishery Management Council, which sets rules for the East Coast scallop fishery.
"We know there are turtles in these areas. We should be taking action on the (turtle) hotspots we know," said Gib Brogan of the environmental group Oceana, which advocates such "time and area" closures to reduce contact between migrating turtles and the fishing fleet.
But the National Marine Fisheries Service recommended not closing any areas, now that it requires the use of dredges modified with what fishermen call turtle chains, said Brogan and Patricia Fiorelli, a spokeswoman for the New England council.
"The issue is whether pushing (fishing) effort around is effective. Turtle distributions are very patchy." Fiorelli said. "Last year, there were no takes in the dredge fishery. There were some this year," even with the area closures, she said.
Regulations associated with the federal Endangered Species Act define "take" as any potentially hazardous physical contact with turtles. Researchers working with the scallop industry came up with chain mats across the dredge openings as a way to avoid the accidental capture and drowning of the air-breathing reptiles.
Oceana activists argue that turtles can still be struck and injured by dredges working the sea floor. Seasonal time and area closures on one area called the Elephant Trunk "keeps the gear out of the water while the turtles are there" from late summer until Nov. 1, David Allison of Oceana said in a statement.
11/2/07
Watch Out for Cold Waters
BOATERS SHOULD PREPARE FOR FALLING WATER TEMPERATURES
Inexperienced boaters at risk when on the water to hunt or fish
Boating is usually considered a warm-weather sport but, as waterfowl hunters and anglers know, fall can be the best time of the year to participate in boating activities. It can also be a dangerous time of year for avid sportsmen and women who don’t consider themselves boaters but want to use a boat to get to their desired hunting or fishing spot. More single-boat accidents take place during this time of the year, and with water temperature on the decline, these accidents can prove deadly.
Overloading a small boat with equipment is a quick way to end up in frigid water by capsizing or falling overboard. Either can turn fatal quickly. Sudden immersion into cold water delivers a brutal shock to the body, triggering a spontaneous inhalation reflex. The simple act of wearing a life jacket can be enough to keep one's head above water when this involuntary gasping happens, keeping lungs from filling with water. By keeping capsized boaters afloat, life jackets also enable them to conserve energy and get out of the water.
Inexperienced boaters at risk when on the water to hunt or fish
Boating is usually considered a warm-weather sport but, as waterfowl hunters and anglers know, fall can be the best time of the year to participate in boating activities. It can also be a dangerous time of year for avid sportsmen and women who don’t consider themselves boaters but want to use a boat to get to their desired hunting or fishing spot. More single-boat accidents take place during this time of the year, and with water temperature on the decline, these accidents can prove deadly.
Overloading a small boat with equipment is a quick way to end up in frigid water by capsizing or falling overboard. Either can turn fatal quickly. Sudden immersion into cold water delivers a brutal shock to the body, triggering a spontaneous inhalation reflex. The simple act of wearing a life jacket can be enough to keep one's head above water when this involuntary gasping happens, keeping lungs from filling with water. By keeping capsized boaters afloat, life jackets also enable them to conserve energy and get out of the water.
11/1/07
Ocean Pollution
The Pacific Garbage Patch--twice the size of Texas, floating in the Pacific Ocean.
Altered Oceans series.
10/28/07
10/27/07
10/26/07
Seal Walks Scheduled
These are the times and places of seal walks led by a CRESLI naturalist at Montauk Point and Cupsogue Beach.
CRESLI seal walks at Montauk Point State Park
Friday 12/21/200711:00 AM
Friday 1/4/200811:00 AM
Friday 1/18/200810:00 AM
Friday 2/1/200810:00 AM
Friday 2/15/20089:00 AM
Friday 2/29/20089:00 AM
Friday 3/14/20089:00 AM
Friday 3/17/200811:00 AM
Friday 4/11/20089:00 AM
Friday 4/25/20088:00 AM
Friday 5/2/200811:00 AM
CRESLI seal walks at Montauk Point State Park will depart from area near the bathrooms in the main parking lot at Montauk Point State Park. The walks are approximately 3 miles round trip and take about 3 hours. Meeting times are 15 minutes prior to departure. These beach walks are suitable for children.
CRESLI seal walks at Cupsogue Beach County Park, Westhampton Beach
Sunday 12/23/0710:30 AM
Saturday 01/05/0810:00 AM
Sunday 01/20/089:30 AM
Saturday 02/02/089:00 AM
Sunday 02/17/089:00 AM
Saturday 02/24/081:30 PM
Sunday 03/02/089:30 AM
Saturday 03/08/0812:00 PM
Sunday 03/16/089:00 AM
Saturday 03/22/0812:00 PM
Sunday 04/06/0811:00 AM
Saturday 04/19/0812:00 PM
Sunday 05/04/0811:00 AM
CRESLI seal walks at Cupsogue Beach County Park (at the western end of Dune Road in Westhampton Beach) will depart from area near the fence at the western end of the parking lot. The walks are approximately 1 miles round trip and take about 2 hours. Meeting times are 15 minutes prior to departure. These walks are suitable for children.
CRESLI seal walks at Montauk Point State Park
Friday 12/21/200711:00 AM
Friday 1/4/200811:00 AM
Friday 1/18/200810:00 AM
Friday 2/1/200810:00 AM
Friday 2/15/20089:00 AM
Friday 2/29/20089:00 AM
Friday 3/14/20089:00 AM
Friday 3/17/200811:00 AM
Friday 4/11/20089:00 AM
Friday 4/25/20088:00 AM
Friday 5/2/200811:00 AM
CRESLI seal walks at Montauk Point State Park will depart from area near the bathrooms in the main parking lot at Montauk Point State Park. The walks are approximately 3 miles round trip and take about 3 hours. Meeting times are 15 minutes prior to departure. These beach walks are suitable for children.
CRESLI seal walks at Cupsogue Beach County Park, Westhampton Beach
Sunday 12/23/0710:30 AM
Saturday 01/05/0810:00 AM
Sunday 01/20/089:30 AM
Saturday 02/02/089:00 AM
Sunday 02/17/089:00 AM
Saturday 02/24/081:30 PM
Sunday 03/02/089:30 AM
Saturday 03/08/0812:00 PM
Sunday 03/16/089:00 AM
Saturday 03/22/0812:00 PM
Sunday 04/06/0811:00 AM
Saturday 04/19/0812:00 PM
Sunday 05/04/0811:00 AM
CRESLI seal walks at Cupsogue Beach County Park (at the western end of Dune Road in Westhampton Beach) will depart from area near the fence at the western end of the parking lot. The walks are approximately 1 miles round trip and take about 2 hours. Meeting times are 15 minutes prior to departure. These walks are suitable for children.
10/22/07
Beached Birds
Wildlife Trust and Tufts Center for Conservation Medicine are working with numerous non-profit organizations and agencies including CRESLI, and the Riverhead Foundation, SEANET (The Seabird Ecological Assessment Network) is conducting volunteer-based beached bird surveys throughout the NY-NJ-CT coast.
Volunteers walk a designated stretch of beach, generally a mile or two, at approximately the same time every month, once or twice per month. We provide a kit for each volunteer including datasheets, a ruler, calipers, and latex gloves. Volunteers record location information, date, conditions, and if they find a bird carcass, as much detail on the specimen as possible, including basic measurements and condition.
Trainings on identification, measurement technique, and general protocol will be held for those interested in volunteering. If possible, volunteers take photographs of specimens they find, for confirmation of identification and for possible use in an Atlantic coast guide to beached birds that we are producing.
If specimens are fresh enough, and we have identified a nearby collaborating facility, specimens can be collected for necropsy. We also encourage those volunteers with bird ID skills to keep track of live birds seen while doing the surveys.
If you might be interested in volunteering, contact Christine Banks, 212 380 4464 or banks@wildlifetrust.org for more information. Please tell your friends. The training sessions are listed below. If you or anyone you know are interested in attending, please let me know which session will be good for you. You will be contacted to confirm the date shortly.
Volunteers walk a designated stretch of beach, generally a mile or two, at approximately the same time every month, once or twice per month. We provide a kit for each volunteer including datasheets, a ruler, calipers, and latex gloves. Volunteers record location information, date, conditions, and if they find a bird carcass, as much detail on the specimen as possible, including basic measurements and condition.
Trainings on identification, measurement technique, and general protocol will be held for those interested in volunteering. If possible, volunteers take photographs of specimens they find, for confirmation of identification and for possible use in an Atlantic coast guide to beached birds that we are producing.
If specimens are fresh enough, and we have identified a nearby collaborating facility, specimens can be collected for necropsy. We also encourage those volunteers with bird ID skills to keep track of live birds seen while doing the surveys.
If you might be interested in volunteering, contact Christine Banks, 212 380 4464 or banks@wildlifetrust.org for more information. Please tell your friends. The training sessions are listed below. If you or anyone you know are interested in attending, please let me know which session will be good for you. You will be contacted to confirm the date shortly.
10/21/07
Leviathan!
The Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum has scheduled
"Leviathan: the History of Whaling in America" for next Sunday, at 3 p.m.
"Leviathan: the History of Whaling in America" for next Sunday, at 3 p.m.
10/20/07
Upcoming Seal Walks
The Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island has scheduled its seal walks, starting in November.
General Information about Seal Walks: CRESLI seal walks will take place between November and May. Please note that weather will play a significant role in determining the seal walk schedule. Please call CRESLI at (631) 244-3352 for schedule changes and cancellations.
Please be prepared for the weather, i.e., wear warm clothing (outerwear should be in muted colors) in layers. Hats, gloves, warm waterproof shoes, and water are also recommended, as are cameras and binoculars. For those without waterproof shoes, an additional dry pair of shoes and socks (for the ride home) would be beneficial.
General Information about Seal Walks: CRESLI seal walks will take place between November and May. Please note that weather will play a significant role in determining the seal walk schedule. Please call CRESLI at (631) 244-3352 for schedule changes and cancellations.
Please be prepared for the weather, i.e., wear warm clothing (outerwear should be in muted colors) in layers. Hats, gloves, warm waterproof shoes, and water are also recommended, as are cameras and binoculars. For those without waterproof shoes, an additional dry pair of shoes and socks (for the ride home) would be beneficial.
10/15/07
Blog Action Day: Cleaning Green
It’s time to get rid of the unhealthy cleaning products in the house and use such natural items as borax, distilled white vinegar, baking soda, salt, washing soda (sodium carbonate), also known as soda ash, and lemons.
Note that most of these products are readily available We had trouble finding Borax for a while. I went to seven supermarkets over a period of weeks, looking for Borax but was met by blank looks by the 20-somethings. I did find one manager who knew what I was talking about but said that Borax, like other products, such as Brillo and Spic-and-Span, had pretty much disappeared. (Stop and Shop, in particular, seems determined to reduce the number products it offers).
Then, suddenly, Borax reappeared on the shelves of the Waldbaum’s store near me, so I’ve been scooping up the boxes as I can.
If it’s not available in your nearest store, try Soaps Gone Buy, which offers Twenty Mule Team Borax, Fels Naptha and other seemingly lost products.
If you need convincing that shifting to these products is a good idea, study the labels of your commercial soaps. One day, when I had an especially ugly, sticky spill on my kitchen floor, I used bleach and a little dish soap and immediately felt sickened by the fumes. It turned out that the dish soap contained ammonia, and mixing it with bleach is a terrible idea. The air in your house will be healthier; so will the waterways where products end up.
I was further surprised to discover ammonia in some shampoo! So read those labels or just switch; it’s easy.
Here are some uses:
Lemon juice: We’ve also used lemon to clean the inside of the car. I frequently found myself coughing hard in the car, especially when the heat came on. Just spraying the air didn’t help; we keep a lot of papers and clothing in the car for different reasons and so the air is frequently dusty from those items. So applying some lemon to clean off the dashboard, reaching into the air vents and sprinkling some baking soda and then vacuuming it up helped the air quality a lot.
It also can dissolve soap scum. We have hard water in our neighborhood and soap scum remains on the bathtub. It works well to remove it, especially if mixed with vinegar or baking soda. You can also let it soak in the kitchen sink and pour it down the drain to remove odors. It also works to clean the kitchen floor.
Borax: all kinds of cleaning: countertops, laundry, floors. Boosts cleaning of clothes—will definitely brighten your clothes. We didn’t realize how dingy our bed covers had gotten from the dog—we washed the covers, of course, and they looked fine. Then we used Borax to supplement laundry soap and things looked much, much better, almost new.
Baking soda: Use about a half cup of baking soda, followed by a half cup of vinegar, as a drain cleaner. Those over-the-counter drain cleaners are about as toxic as you can get in a household product. It’s far less abrasive than commercial products.
Hydrogen peroxide: mix with water, spray on grout and areas subject to mold; let sit for an hour and then wash off with water. Kills mold and germs.
Vinegar: We use this for all kinds of projects: we use a bit to clean the dishwasher to kill germs, to kill mold or mildew, as a fabric softener (add a little during the rinse cycle), countertops, kitchen and bathroom floors. There may be a strong smell when first used but it dries and the scent disappears very quickly. And the temporary smell is nothing compared to the odor of bleach or ammonia, and there’s no harm remaining from using it.
Note that most of these products are readily available We had trouble finding Borax for a while. I went to seven supermarkets over a period of weeks, looking for Borax but was met by blank looks by the 20-somethings. I did find one manager who knew what I was talking about but said that Borax, like other products, such as Brillo and Spic-and-Span, had pretty much disappeared. (Stop and Shop, in particular, seems determined to reduce the number products it offers).
Then, suddenly, Borax reappeared on the shelves of the Waldbaum’s store near me, so I’ve been scooping up the boxes as I can.
If it’s not available in your nearest store, try Soaps Gone Buy, which offers Twenty Mule Team Borax, Fels Naptha and other seemingly lost products.
If you need convincing that shifting to these products is a good idea, study the labels of your commercial soaps. One day, when I had an especially ugly, sticky spill on my kitchen floor, I used bleach and a little dish soap and immediately felt sickened by the fumes. It turned out that the dish soap contained ammonia, and mixing it with bleach is a terrible idea. The air in your house will be healthier; so will the waterways where products end up.
I was further surprised to discover ammonia in some shampoo! So read those labels or just switch; it’s easy.
Here are some uses:
Lemon juice: We’ve also used lemon to clean the inside of the car. I frequently found myself coughing hard in the car, especially when the heat came on. Just spraying the air didn’t help; we keep a lot of papers and clothing in the car for different reasons and so the air is frequently dusty from those items. So applying some lemon to clean off the dashboard, reaching into the air vents and sprinkling some baking soda and then vacuuming it up helped the air quality a lot.
It also can dissolve soap scum. We have hard water in our neighborhood and soap scum remains on the bathtub. It works well to remove it, especially if mixed with vinegar or baking soda. You can also let it soak in the kitchen sink and pour it down the drain to remove odors. It also works to clean the kitchen floor.
Borax: all kinds of cleaning: countertops, laundry, floors. Boosts cleaning of clothes—will definitely brighten your clothes. We didn’t realize how dingy our bed covers had gotten from the dog—we washed the covers, of course, and they looked fine. Then we used Borax to supplement laundry soap and things looked much, much better, almost new.
Baking soda: Use about a half cup of baking soda, followed by a half cup of vinegar, as a drain cleaner. Those over-the-counter drain cleaners are about as toxic as you can get in a household product. It’s far less abrasive than commercial products.
Hydrogen peroxide: mix with water, spray on grout and areas subject to mold; let sit for an hour and then wash off with water. Kills mold and germs.
Vinegar: We use this for all kinds of projects: we use a bit to clean the dishwasher to kill germs, to kill mold or mildew, as a fabric softener (add a little during the rinse cycle), countertops, kitchen and bathroom floors. There may be a strong smell when first used but it dries and the scent disappears very quickly. And the temporary smell is nothing compared to the odor of bleach or ammonia, and there’s no harm remaining from using it.
10/14/07
Terms Defined
Long Island Boating World looks at the issue of Admiralty terms.
Admiralty terms are unique. And, while a doctor’s
writing may be difficult to understand, admiralty’s language
can be just as tricky to navigate. Here we are in the
21st century, and the U.S. Supreme Court recently re-visited
the definition of vessel in relation to a maritime dispute.
Just last month, a reader of the “Sea Trials” column
(a licensed captain) sent me an email asking what the
term seaman means in maritime law.
Believe it or not, the issue of seaman status is frequently
litigated. This is because, under maritime law,
the types of remedies available and elements of damages
recoverable may depend upon whether one is or is not a
“seaman.” Plaintiffs with bodily injuries like to be
cloaked with “seaman” status for expanded remedies
against the vessel owner/employer.
A seaman, according to a dictionary definition, is a
person skilled in seamanship or a person whose trade or
occupation is assisting in the handling, sailing, and navigating
of a ship during a voyage, especially one below
the rank of officer. However, it is not so simple in admiralty
parlance. Maritime law relating to liability for
death or injury to seamen has evolved from ancient
maritime codes. Coupled with U.S. legislation and
case law, unique tests of eligibility for seaman status
have developed.
10/8/07
Updating the Weather Report
This is one of those decisions that seems self-evident, in hindsight.
... Now, instead of issuing weather warnings on a county-by-county basis, the National Weather Service will issue them based on the location of the storm.
NewsChannel 7 Meteorologist Katie O’Brien says, “It helps in terms of there’s a lot less hassle on the part of people who aren’t even going to be affected by the storm.”
Here's more information.
... Now, instead of issuing weather warnings on a county-by-county basis, the National Weather Service will issue them based on the location of the storm.
NewsChannel 7 Meteorologist Katie O’Brien says, “It helps in terms of there’s a lot less hassle on the part of people who aren’t even going to be affected by the storm.”
Here's more information.
Run for the Turtles
5K Run for the Ridley to benefit the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation.
The run will take place on October 20, 2007, at 10:00 AM in Riverhead, NY. The Race will be timed by Fit Results.
Eligibility: Open to runners and joggers of all ages.
5K Course: The Run starts on Main Street in Riverhead, goes through a quiet residential neighborhood and finishes on McDermott Ave.
Registration: Early registration is $17.00 if postmarked by Ocotber 12, 2007.
Late registration between Ocotober 13 and October 19, 2007 is $20.00
Race day registration is $25.00
Event T-shirt will be given to all pre-registered runners
Check-in: Easternmost end of Municipal Parking Lot adjacent to Peconic River. 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM. Ample parking.
Awards: Top three male and famale overall, plus top three male and female in the following age categories: 14-under, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75 and over.
Register: or call the Riverhead Foundation office 631.369.9840
The run will take place on October 20, 2007, at 10:00 AM in Riverhead, NY. The Race will be timed by Fit Results.
Eligibility: Open to runners and joggers of all ages.
5K Course: The Run starts on Main Street in Riverhead, goes through a quiet residential neighborhood and finishes on McDermott Ave.
Registration: Early registration is $17.00 if postmarked by Ocotber 12, 2007.
Late registration between Ocotober 13 and October 19, 2007 is $20.00
Race day registration is $25.00
Event T-shirt will be given to all pre-registered runners
Check-in: Easternmost end of Municipal Parking Lot adjacent to Peconic River. 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM. Ample parking.
Awards: Top three male and famale overall, plus top three male and female in the following age categories: 14-under, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75 and over.
Register: or call the Riverhead Foundation office 631.369.9840
10/7/07
Pirates of Cold Spring Harbor
Buccaneers invade the Whaling Museum in Cold Spring Harbor for its new special exhibit:
“Pirates!”
Explore the mystery, folklore and reality of pirates through the legends, artifacts and art which have earned these shady characters a permanent place in popular culture
“New York has a long and colorful history with sea-going thieves: in 1699, Governor Richard Coote called Long Island a "great receptacle for pirates." Two of his predecessors were known to consort with pirates.
“As we hope to show with this exhibit, pirates on film and pirates in reality were sometimes two different things,” said Museum Curator Dan Trachtenberg.
The exhibit will run through August, 2008. The Whaling Museum, located on Route 25A in Cold Spring Harbor, is open Tuesday through Sunday form 11:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Open year-round Admission
Hours:
Tuesday thru Sunday
11am to 5pm
Also open Summer Mondays and Holiday Mondays throughout the year
Adults $5.00
Seniors $4.00
Students
(Ages 5-18) $4.00
Children (Under 5) Free
Family $15.00
Member, Military Free
Sunday
11am-1pm Donation
“Pirates!”
Explore the mystery, folklore and reality of pirates through the legends, artifacts and art which have earned these shady characters a permanent place in popular culture
“New York has a long and colorful history with sea-going thieves: in 1699, Governor Richard Coote called Long Island a "great receptacle for pirates." Two of his predecessors were known to consort with pirates.
“As we hope to show with this exhibit, pirates on film and pirates in reality were sometimes two different things,” said Museum Curator Dan Trachtenberg.
The exhibit will run through August, 2008. The Whaling Museum, located on Route 25A in Cold Spring Harbor, is open Tuesday through Sunday form 11:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Open year-round Admission
Hours:
Tuesday thru Sunday
11am to 5pm
Also open Summer Mondays and Holiday Mondays throughout the year
Adults $5.00
Seniors $4.00
Students
(Ages 5-18) $4.00
Children (Under 5) Free
Family $15.00
Member, Military Free
Sunday
11am-1pm Donation
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