Hidden in the shallows of coastal tidal salt marshes are very special gems, some of which are 5 to 9 inches in length. They are not glistening diamonds; they are turtles, whose shell is adorned with diamond-shaped plates (scutes) with different colored growth rings, giving…
Posts tagged as “Robert Bachand”
Many of Long Island Sound’s beachgoers, scuba divers and boaters may not know that our waters harbor a species of coral, also found in the Caribbean and the west coast of Africa. Even scuba divers that have encountered the tiny, eye-arresting marine creature might not…
First established in April 1868, the site of New London’s Submarine Base first served as a storage depot and a naval yard for laying up inactive ships. Developed in Groton, the 112-acre site was on land donated by the State of Connecticut, situated along the…
Ships have traditionally used ballast at the bottom of vessels to maintain their stability. The early forms of ballast included stones, gravel, sand, iron and eventually water. As a ship approached its destination, its hard ballast was unloaded to avoid possible grounding in the harbor’s…
The first European settlers to reach the shores of Massachusetts often found piles of lobsters stranded on the beach. Then regarded as “cockroaches of the sea,” they were used as bait and fertilizers, and eventually fed to servants, prisoners and slaves. But by the late…
Long Island Sound’s 1,300 square miles of water surface area is host to over 120 species of fishes. Its scup, striped bass, bluefish, summer flounder, hickory shad, black sea bass, tautog and so many other species provide fantastic opportunities for any novice or expert recreational…
A calm Long Island Sound and a midday sun can reveal an attractive sight, just a few feet below the surface. As it pulses its bell and drifts in the currents, it is occasionally accompanied by several small, slate-blue colored butterfish. They closely follow the…
Armed with four torpedoes and two twin Browning machine guns, the small, fast and highly maneuverable PT boats (patrol, torpedo boats) were an important part of the U.S. Navy’s weapons systems during World War ll. Equipped with a trio of Packard engines, their maximum speed,…
In late January 1878, the Steamship Metropolis set out from Philadelphia, loaded with 500 tons of cast-iron rails, 200 tons of coal and other supplies. Heading for Brazil, the vessel also carried about 215 passengers, many of whom were slated to help build a Brazilian…
Longfin squid are graceful swimmers that seem to glide through the water with little effort. As they swim at a low speed, their fins move in a wave-like fashion, but when they accelerate, their fins flap up and down. They are also capable of jet…