Current:Home > ScamsNOAA warns boaters to steer clear of 11 shipwrecks, including WWII minesweeper, in marine sanctuary east of Boston-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
NOAA warns boaters to steer clear of 11 shipwrecks, including WWII minesweeper, in marine sanctuary east of Boston
View Date:2024-12-24 08:43:37
Federal authorities are asking fishing vessels to steer clear of 11 shipwrecks located in a marine sanctuary east of Boston, warning that they could "cause serious damage" to the many historically significant ships that have gone down in the waters since the 19th century.
In a news release issued Wednesday, NOAA is requesting that vessels avoid the shipwreck sites in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, which sits between Cape Ann and Cape Cod. Though dozens of shipwrecks lie in the sanctuary, NOAA singled out 11 wrecks for boaters to avoid, including the World War II minesweeper USS Heroic, the trawler Josephine Marie and the 55-foot North Star. The other eight wrecks are unknown vessels, the agency said.
"NOAA recognizes that fishermen want to avoid shipwrecks to ensure the safety of the crew and because of the risks of damaging their gear when the gear gets hung up on a wreck or other objects on the ocean floor," the agency said, while providing a map and coordinates for the doomed vessels. "Hanging up on a wreck can also cause serious damage to shipwrecks that have historical significance."
The sanctuary said that shipwrecks are crucial to the area because they provide habitat and refuge for a variety of marine life and are "memorial sites representing the last resting place of fishermen and sailors."
In addition to the USS Heroic, the Josephine Marie and the North Star, there are at least 10 other named vessels lying on the ocean floor in the sanctuary, including the steamship Portland which was sunk by a storm in 1898, killing all 192 people on board, and the steamship Pentagoet, which lost 18 crewmembers in the same storm.
The most recent ship to sink in the sanctuary is the 60-foot Patriot, which went down on Jan. 3, 2009, killing both crewmembers on board.
The sanctuary says its "shipwrecks serve as time capsules of our nation's maritime history."
Historic shipwrecks are protected under the National Historic Preservation Act and the National Marine Sanctuaries Act as well as other federal regulations.
The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is now a premier destination for whale watching. Last year, scientists at the sanctuary urged the public to be on the lookout for two missing research tags used to study large whales, noting they could "wash ashore anywhere along" the coast.
- In:
- Massachusetts
- Shipwreck
- Gloucester News
Stephen Smith is a senior editor for CBSNews.com.
veryGood! (436)
Related
- Report: Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence could miss rest of season with shoulder injury
- On the anniversary of a deadly Halloween crush, South Korean families demand a special investigation
- Coach Fabio Grosso hurt as Lyon team bus comes under attack before French league game at Marseille
- Shop Like RHOC's Emily Simpson With Date Night Beauty Faves From $14
- How Ben Affleck Really Feels About His and Jennifer Lopez’s Movie Gigli Today
- Steelers QB Kenny Pickett ruled out of game vs. Jaguars after rib injury on hard hit
- 32 things we learned in NFL Week 8: Shifting landscape ahead of trade deadline
- Coach hired, team still required: Soccer’s status in the Marshall Islands is a work in progress
- GM recalling big pickups and SUVs because the rear wheels can lock up, increasing risk of a crash
- Two bodies found aboard migrant boat intercepted off Canary Island of Tenerife
Ranking
- The White Stripes drop lawsuit against Donald Trump over 'Seven Nation Army' use
- Hurricane Otis kills 3 foreigners among 45 dead in Acapulco as search for bodies continues
- Cornell University sends officers to Jewish center after violent, antisemitic messages posted online
- Coach hired, team still required: Soccer’s status in the Marshall Islands is a work in progress
- It's Red Cup Day at Starbucks: Here's how to get your holiday cup and cash in on deals
- Will Ariana Madix's Boyfriend Daniel Wai Appear on Vanderpump Rules? She Says...
- Horoscopes Today, October 28, 2023
- All WanaBana apple cinnamon pouches recalled for potentially elevated levels of lead: FDA
Recommendation
-
See Chris Evans' Wife Alba Baptista Show Her Sweet Support at Red One Premiere
-
For Palestinian and Israeli Americans, war has made the unimaginable a reality
-
The 411 on MPG: How the US regulates fuel economy for cars and trucks. (It's complicated)
-
Friends' Kathleen Turner Reflects on Onscreen Son Matthew Perry's Good Heart After His Death
-
My Little Pony finally hits the Toy Hall of Fame, alongside Phase 10 and Transformers
-
EU chief says investment plan for Western Balkan candidate members will require reforms
-
Richard Moll, star of Night Court, dies at 80
-
The UAW reaches a tentative deal with GM, the last holdout of Detroit's Big 3