by Off the coast of New England, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) discovered a rather amorous scallop this summer.
On Facebook, the NOAA Fisheries New England Mid-Atlantic branch shared a picture of the unusual sea mollusk with a description of its origin.
A scallop shaped like a heart? During the Atlantic Sea Scallop Dredge Survey, scientists and crew from the F/V Selje dredged up this heart-shaped scallop on Georges Bank a few weeks ago. According to a July 31 Facebook post from NOAA, this scallop was dinged years ago, which is what gave it its distinctive shape today.
The unique scallop was gathered by the study team along the northern edge of Georges Bank, an underwater plateau that stretches toward Nova Scotia, Canada, approximately 60 miles east of Cape Cod, according to NOAA.
Because of its shallowness in relation to the surrounding ocean, the plateau is nutrient-rich and ideal for the growth of scallops and other marine species.
This region is renowned for its rocky, cobbly bottom and powerful currents. Scallops may be tossed around by strong currents and collide with rocks or other scallops. Shell damage may result from that. According to NOAA, when the wound heals, the scallop keeps growing and shell abnormalities like these start to show.
Through two studies, NOAA scientists examine the habitat, population, and growth patterns of Atlantic sea scallops. Setting safe catch limits for commercial fishing is aided by the knowledge.
The NOAA claims that the Dredge Survey, which began in 1979, gathers scallops from the ocean floor using fishing gear. The HabCam Survey, an underwater camera system that takes precise images of scallops and their habitat, was also used by researchers starting in 2012.
As a freelance journalist, Morgan Rousseau covers a range of local and regional news for Boston.com.
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