Coast Guard pollution responders, and the Fairhaven Harbormaster responded to a report of a large oil sheen in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts Friday morning.
At 2:00 p.m. Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England was notified by a local, experienced mariner of a possible pollution sheen in Buzzard's Bay.
Response crews with a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod, a 29-foot response boat from Station Woods Hole, and a 45-foot response boat medium from Station Menemsha responded along with Coast Guard personnel from Marine Safety Detachment New Bedford and the Fairhaven Harbormaster.
After Coast Guard assets arrived on-scene, they did not find any pollution; rather they discovered a large area of jellyfish.
“Often, mariners will report such natural events like large concentrations of jellyfish or algae blooms as pollution to the Coast Guard," said Lt. Jarrod Pomajzl, the command center chief at Sector Southeastern New England. “The Coast Guard appreciates mariners reporting possible pollution incidents even if they do end up being nothing more than naturally occurring events.”