We’re excited to share that CFF has received a funding award from MA Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) to support a shoreline marine debris removal project! This project will focus on removing abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear such as monofilament line, rope, nets, and trap components that may pose ongoing risks to coastal habitats and wildlife...

CFF’s Fisheries and Technologies Expo was recently highlighted in a Cape & Islands article by Amy Kolb Noyes, exploring the culinary and industry potential of underutilized species — including moon snails and neon flying squid.

Sampling Zooplankton aboard the R/V Neil Armstrong.

In collaboration with WHOI and SMAST, CFF recently joined a Northeast Shelf Long-Term Ecological Research cruise aboard the R/V Neil Armstrong and learned a lot about new techniques for sampling zooplankton and larval fishes...

Earlier this fall, CFF partnered with the FV Temptress to conduct a one-day field test of bongo net deployment aboard a commercial scallop vessel. The trip allowed the team to practice and refine deployment and retrieval procedures for the dual-net system...

A recent peer-reviewed study led by Coonamessett Farm Foundation (CFF)

demonstrates how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used to analyze massive underwater imagery datasets, revealing new insights into the ecology and behavior of Atlantic sea scallops

(Placopecten magellanicus).

​

The new paper, entitled “Benthic habitat influences sea scallop distributions and swimming

behavior based on underwater imagery and machine learning”, is available by following this link.

From Virginia to the Azores: four years and 3,000 miles apart!

In 2021, our team deployed one of the first pop-up satellite tags on a black sea bass (Centropristis striata) off Virginia Beach, testing new ways to study movement and habitat use.

This February, that same tag was found drifting off the Azores by marine scientist @fontes_ecodive and returned through @dr_nathan_robinson...

​

Watch the Mini-Doc

We are excited to share a newly published peer reviewed study led by NOAA and co authored by CFF Senior Research Biologist Samir Patel in Diversity and Distributions -  “Distribution Models Reveal Important Coastal Habitats for Endangered Leatherback Sea Turtles”. As offshore wind development expands along the U.S. East Coast, understanding where vulnerable species occur is essential...

This year, our researchers spent more time at sea than ever - conducting field research, collecting imagery, and monitoring marine ecosystems across the North Atlantic.

​

From days on the water to millions of data points, this work reflects the scale and commitment behind ocean science.

With over 500 days at sea for CFF researchers overall, our team spent that time conducting field research across the North Atlantic. These are the numbers.

At CFF, we’re passionate about more than just sea scallops. Our collaborative surfclam project with FV Tom Slaughter and FV Seafox in Hyannis collects vital data to monitor surfclam populations and their habitats...

​

Watch the Mini-Doc