Missing at sea: $5,000 reward offered for research vessel tracking algal bloom in Gulf of Maine
The hunt is on for a missing yellow research vessel monitoring a harmful algal bloom in the Gulf of Maine.
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THE TAKEAWAY
- A $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the recovery of a missing SeaTrac research vessel.
- The SeaTrac was monitoring a harmful algal bloom in the Gulf of Maine.
- Researchers plan to launch a recovery mission.
A $5,000 reward is up for grabs in a real-life treasure hunt at sea, but the prize is not buried treasure or a giant fish.
Researchers are searching for a yellow, uncrewed vessel that went adrift while monitoring a harmful algal bloom in the Gulf of Maine.
The SeaTrac research vessel lost communications with its operators on the night of Oct. 12 while holding position about 30 nautical miles southeast of Frenchman Bay, Maine.
A yellow SeaTrac uncrewed surface vessel floats offshore while collecting data to help monitor a harmful algal bloom in the Gulf of Maine. (NERACOOS)
The vessel was expected to remain in the area while recharging, but a boat sent to check on it later that week found it was no longer in its expected position – triggering the announcement of a $5,000 reward for the high-tech data collector.
The SeaTrac is an autonomous, solar-charging research boat that carries specialized sensors through the Gulf of Maine, continuously sampling the water for phytoplankton linked to harmful algal blooms and transmitting data to researchers through cellular and satellite connections.
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An alert announcing the reward was circulated through local Maine boating communities, noting that the vessel is unlikely to have sunk because its built-in float bags should keep it on the surface.
A yellow SeaTrac uncrewed surface vehicle collects real-time water data and uses specialized sensors to detect plankton linked to harmful algal blooms, helping researchers gather more information across the Gulf of Maine with fewer people and less equipment. (NERACOOS)
The bright-yellow vessel measures about 16 feet long and 4.5 feet wide, and its stern is marked "Uncrewed Surface Vehicle," while "SeaTrac" is written across the bow.
The research team is offering a single cash reward of $5,000 for information leading to the vessel’s successful recovery.
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Officials are asking anyone who spots the vessel to report its location rather than attempt to retrieve it.
A map shows the SeaTrac uncrewed surface vessel’s last known position, estimated drift path and most likely location in the Gulf of Maine.
On Oct. 23, researchers with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and NERACOOS re-established communication with the missing SeaTrac roughly 90 miles off Gloucester, Massachusetts, with a recovery mission scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 25.
Ongoing algal bloom
The SeaTrac was deployed to monitor a harmful algal bloom in the Gulf of Maine involving Karenia mikimotoi, a phytoplankton that can deplete oxygen as dense blooms decay, creating stressful or deadly conditions for fish, shellfish, marine worms and other bottom-dwelling organisms.
A natural-color satellite view shows greenish and turquoise water extending along the Maine coast and into the Gulf of Maine, highlighting areas where suspended material and phytoplankton are altering the water’s appearance. (NOAA)
The harmful algal blooms can also threaten marine life, fisheries and coastal economies, making real-time monitoring critical for public health and resource managers.
The bloom’s impacts are real — and local boaters noticed them first.
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In Brunswick, Maine, reports from lobstermen, pogie fishermen, clammers, shellfish farmers and coastal residents about unusual water discoloration helped prompt monitoring that found Karenia mikimotoi concentrations in the millions of cells per liter, while dissolved oxygen in Maquoit Bay fell to 3.11 milligrams per liter — just 37% saturation, below the 50% level linked to severe shellfish mortality, according to the town’s Coastal Resource Office.
A false-color satellite product reveals broad bands of differing water color across the Gulf of Maine, including brighter green and teal areas near the coast that are consistent with elevated phytoplankton or chlorophyll concentrations. (NOAA)
Maine’s Department of Marine Resources says the Karenia mikimotoi bloom is showing signs of decline, with satellite imagery indicating reduced activity and dissolved oxygen levels rebounding nearshore, although isolated areas of Muscongus and Penobscot bays continue to report elevated cell counts and potential impacts on soft-shell clams and marine worms.