Misplaced Pages

#236763

47-722: In 1524, Italian navigator Giovanni da Verrazzano was the first European to discover Cape Cod Bay, his claim proved by a map of 1529 which clearly outlined Cape Cod. In 1620, the Pilgrims first sheltered in Provincetown Harbor where they signed the Mayflower Compact , the first democratic document signed in the New World . Most of Cape Cod is composed of glacially derived rocks, sands, and gravels. The last glacial period ended about 12,000 years ago. During

94-604: A sea route to the Pacific Ocean . Within months, four ships set sail due west for the Grand Banks of Newfoundland , but a violent storm and rough seas caused the loss of two ships. The remaining two damaged ships, La Dauphine and La Normande , were forced to return to Brittany. Repairs were completed in the final weeks of 1523, and the ships set sail again. This time, the ships headed south toward calmer waters under hostile Spanish and Portuguese control. After

141-466: A 559-mile coastline that surrounds the majority fr of the Cape. There are 53 saltwater embayments along this extensive stretch of coastline, each of which is formed by a depression or dip in the coastline that forms a bay abutting the ocean. Estuaries are where rivers and the sea meet. Freshwater, brackish, tidal wetlands, and tidal channels are all found in estuaries. Rivers, streams, and groundwater pour into

188-461: A distinct seasonal cycle in the Bay. In the winter, the density of bay water is nearly the same from top to bottom, allowing it to mix readily and become nutrient-rich all around. Stratification occurs when the surface water becomes warmer and less thick than the deeper water in the spring, summer, and early fall. Because the water is stratified and rich in nutrients in the spring, biological productivity in

235-549: A diverse range of coastal and marine ecosystems, making it ecologically rich. Beaches, marshes, and offshore water provide critical habitats for plant and animal ecosystems, including commercially valuable fin-fish and shellfish, as well as endangered marine animals and birds. The bay's natural resources are used by endangered bird species like the Roseate Tern and the Piping Plover. The North Atlantic right whale, which

282-537: A letter signed by Francis I, which referred to Verrazzano's letter. Verrazzano's reputation was particularly obscure in New York City , where the 1609 voyage of Henry Hudson on behalf of the Dutch Republic came to be regarded as the de facto start of European exploration of New York. It was only by a great effort in the 1950s and 1960s that Verrazzano's name and reputation were re-established as

329-487: A map of 1529 that clearly outlined Cape Cod. He named the cape after a general, calling it Pallavicino. He then followed the coast up to modern Maine , southeastern Nova Scotia , and Newfoundland , and he then returned to France by 8 July 1524. Verrazzano named the region that he explored Francesca in honour of the French king, but his brother's map labelled it Nova Gallia ( New France ). Stefaan Missinne, discoverer of

376-449: A result, pond pollution is likely to pollute groundwater and vice versa. The Cape's lifeline is groundwater. Rain and melting snow swiftly sink into the sandy soils, where it pools to form a massive subterranean groundwater reservoir beneath the majority of the Cape. Groundwater continues to flow into and out of ponds, feeding streams, and flowing towards the coast, finding sea level when it enters our estuaries and embayments, as water seeks

423-605: A stop in Madeira , complications forced La Normande back to home port, but Verrazzano's ship La Dauphine departed on January 17, 1524, piloted by Antoine de Conflans, and headed once more for the North American continent. It neared the area of Cape Fear on March 21, 1524 and, after a short stay, reached the Pamlico Sound lagoon of modern North Carolina . In a letter to Francis I, described by historians as

470-462: A voyage to North America in 1524. The purpose of Verrazzano's journey was to learn more about the continent. Traveling in a small ship known as the Dauphine, he explored coastal areas from the present-day State of North Carolina to Canada, observing the natural abundance of the land and the vibrant culture of its native peoples. His voyage is the earliest documented European exploration of this part of

517-586: Is bounded by the Continental divide to the east and Pacific Ocean to the west; the basin excludes the endorheic Great Basin in the west. The Great Basin has a closed loop boundary encompassing substantially all of Nevada, the western half of Utah and parts of Oregon, California, Idaho, and Wyoming. Most lakes are not actually endorheic, but endorheic basins may not have standing water, or have water only seasonally. The most significant endorheic basins are these: The western boundary (Eastern Continental Divide) of

SECTION 10

#1732776902237

564-690: Is known about his personal life. After 1506, he settled in the port of Dieppe , Kingdom of France , where he began his career as a navigator. He embarked for the American coast probably in 1508 in the company of captain Thomas Aubert , on the ship La Pensée , equipped by the owner, Jean Ango . He explored the region of Newfoundland, possibly during a fishing trip, and possibly the St. Lawrence River in Canada; on other occasions, he made numerous voyages to

611-503: Is polluted runoff. Contaminants collected up in precipitation and melting snow are eventually dumped into the bay, resulting in this sort of pollution. Fertilizers and other lawn and garden chemicals, pet waste, salt from streets, and oil and gasoline leaking from autos are all possible contaminants picked up in runoff. Pollution's effects have already been seen in our coastal waters. Excess nutrient input from both point and non-point sources leads to high levels of plant growth, in addition to

658-419: Is responsible for red tides, which bring in harmful toxins, and has been the cause of death for fish, birds, mammals, and sometimes humans as a result. Shellfish that consume toxic phytoplankton become hazardous themselves, posing a risk to humans who consume infected shellfish and wreaking havoc on the shellfishing business. It is important to control HAB's and bacterial communities. Algal blooms deplete oxygen in

705-567: Is sea clams, and live mackerel. Per the Cape Cod Commission, the bay is experiencing water problems. Although nutrients like nitrogen are an important aspect of aquatic ecosystems, excessive amounts can damage water systems. Cape Cod's estuaries are vulnerable to the effects of excess nitrogen due to a number of factors. Nitrogen is poisoning the saltwater barrier that has characterized the peninsula. On Cape Cod, centralized wastewater treatment plants are not extensively employed due to

752-624: Is severely endangered, feeds in Cape Cod Bay. From April to December, humpback whales travel to Cape Cod Bay and nearby seas to feast on schooling fish. The Pilgrims shot at a whale unsuccessfully while they were anchored in Provincetown Harbor in 1620. Cape Cod has abundant water resources. These resources include both saltwater and freshwater. Below is a list of the most important resources. The Atlantic Ocean, Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, Buzzards Bay, and Cape Cod Bay form

799-614: The Cèllere Codex , Verrazzano wrote that he was convinced that the Sound was the beginning of the Pacific Ocean from which access could be gained to China. Continuing to explore the coast further northwards, Verrazzano and his crew came into contact with Native Americans living on the coast. However, he did not notice the entrances to Chesapeake Bay or the mouth of the Delaware River . In New York Bay , he encountered

846-873: The Gulf of St. Lawrence on the Atlantic Ocean or to the Labrador Sea ; the Gulf of Mexico basin in the southern United States drains to the Gulf of Mexico, a basin of the Atlantic Ocean; the Pacific basin in western North America drains to the Pacific Ocean or the Gulf of California on the Pacific Ocean; the Arctic basin in northwestern North America drains to the Beaufort Sea of the Arctic Ocean or directly to

893-604: The Lenape in about 30 Lenape canoes and observed what he deemed to be a large lake, really the entrance to the Hudson River . He then sailed along Long Island and entered Narragansett Bay , where he received a delegation of Wampanoag and Narragansett people . The words "Norman villa" are found on the 1527 map by Visconte Maggiolo identifying the site. The historian Samuel Eliot Morison writes that "this occurs at Angouleme (New York) rather than Refugio (Newport). It

940-431: The 1504 Globe da Vinci, has critically analyzed the contents of Verrazzano's travel diary. In the process, he has uncovered important, hitherto unknown iconographic aspects that shed new light on Verrazzano and his connection to Leonardo da Vinci evidence. Verrazzano arranged a second voyage, with financial support from Jean Ango and Philippe de Chabot , which departed from Dieppe with four ships early in 1527. One ship

987-656: The Arctic Ocean; the Hudson Bay basin in central northern North America drains to Hudson Bay on the Labrador Sea (which may be considered part of either the Arctic Ocean or Atlantic Ocean), or to the Arctic Sea via Foxe Basin and Fury and Hecla Strait; the Great Basin in western United States is an endorheic basin which does not drain to any ocean. The Atlantic Seaboard basin is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to

SECTION 20

#1732776902237

1034-579: The Atlantic Coast. This monument rests upon stone from Castello di Verrazzano, the explorer's ancestral home. Watersheds of North America Watersheds of North America are large drainage basins which drain to separate oceans, seas, gulfs, or endorheic basins . There are six generally recognized hydrological continental divides which divide the continent into seven principal drainage basins spanning three oceans ( Arctic , Atlantic and Pacific ) and one endorheic basin. The basins are

1081-807: The Atlantic Seaboard basin and eastern boundary of the Gulf of Mexico basin is formed by the Appalachian Mountains to the North, the Piedmont Plateau and lowland ridges of the Atlantic Coastal plain to the south. The eastern boundary of the Pacific basin and western boundary of the Gulf of Mexico basin (Continental Divide) is the Rocky Mountains. A principal river of a basin is a river that drains directly to

1128-571: The Atlantic Seaboard basin, the Gulf of Mexico basin, the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence basin , the Pacific basin, the Arctic basin, the Hudson Bay basin, and the Great Basin. Together, the principal basins span the continent with the exception of numerous smaller endorheic basins. The Atlantic Seaboard basin in eastern North America drains to the Atlantic Ocean; the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence basin in central and eastern North America drains to

1175-525: The Bahamas , and the Lesser Antilles , Verrazzano anchored out to sea and rowed ashore, probably on the island of Guadeloupe . He was allegedly killed and eaten by the native Caribs . The fleet of two or three ships was anchored out of gunshot range, and no one could respond in time. However, older historical accounts suggest that Verrazzano was the same person as the corsair Jean Fleury , who

1222-453: The Bay move in a counter-clockwise fashion, moving south from Boston , to Plymouth then east and then north to Provincetown . Strong tides flow water into the Bay, cleansing the system with nutrient-rich sea water and maintaining a well-mixed marine environment that helps to maintain a generally healthy and productive system by exchanging roughly 9.3% of the total bay water volume on a regular basis. Surface water stratification and mixing have

1269-649: The European discoverer of the harbour, during an effort to name the newly built Narrows bridge after him. In Commemoration of Verrazzano's Voyage to America erected by the Delaware Commission on Italian Heritage and Culture 2008 A native of Val Di Greve in the Tuscany region of Italy, he studied navigation as a young man and became a master mariner. He was engaged by the King of France to lead

1316-507: The French king in whose name he sailed. That and other names he bestowed on features he discovered have not survived. He had the misfortune of making significant discoveries in the same three years (1519 to 1521) that the dramatic Conquest of the Aztec Empire and Ferdinand Magellan 's circumnavigation of the world occurred. Magellan did not complete his voyage, but his publicist Antonio Pigafetta did so, and Spanish publicity outweighed

1363-539: The bay is at its peak. Since 1914, Cape Cod Bay has been connected to Buzzards Bay by the Cape Cod Canal , which divides the upper cape towns of Bourne and Sandwich. The sea life of Cape Cod Bay is quite varied and healthy. Fish that call the bay home include Bluefin Tuna, Striped Bass, Bluefish, Flounder, and Atlantic Mackerel. Sea mammals also live in Cape Cod Bay (seals, dolphins and whales). Cape Cod Bay has

1410-584: The case," writes Ronald S. Love, "Verrazzano always considered himself to be Florentine," and he was considered a Florentine by his contemporaries as well. He signed documents employing a Latin version of his name, "Janus Verrazanus", and he called himself "Jehan de Verrazane" in his will dated 11 May 1526 in Rouen , France (preserved at the Archives départementales de la Seine-Maritime). In contrast to his detailed account of his voyages to North America, little

1457-619: The coast of the South Shore (Massachusetts) and inner cape for fish such as Blue Fish, Cod, Flounder, Striped Bass, Bonito, Tuna, Mackerel, Pollock, Haddock, and even Sharks. Fishing season typically takes place between May and October. Although plenty of fisherman prefer to fish from shore rather than a boat, Massachusetts requires a Recreational Saltwater Fishing Permit for anyone 16 years of age or older. Many coastal towns have fishing piers, and boat charters that provide daily trips into Cape Cod Bay to catch fish. The most popular bait used

Cape Cod Bay - Misplaced Pages Continue

1504-653: The direct, harmful impacts of pollution. This process, known as eutrophication, is taking place in Cape Cod Bay to some extent. In the bay, excess nutrients originate mainly from human sources and activities, such as waste systems for example. With the harmful increase of these nutrients comes an increase in algae and bacteria. Phaeocystis blooms are common in Cape Cod Bay during the spring. A bloom of this phytoplankton has far-reaching consequences, including out-competing other beneficial phytoplankton species, impacting zooplankton growth and productivity, and killing off fish species. Alexandrium , another species found in Cape Cod Bay,

1551-704: The east, the Eastern Continental Divide to the west, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Divide to the north, and the Lake Okeechobee endorheic basin to the south. The Gulf of Mexico basin is bounded by the Gulf of Mexico to the south, the Eastern Continental Divide to the east, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Divide to the northeast, the Laurentian Divide to the North, and the Continental Divide to the west. The Pacific Basin

1598-502: The eastern Mediterranean. In September 1522, the surviving members of the Magellan expedition returned to Spain, having circumnavigated the globe. Competition in trade was becoming urgent, especially with Portugal. French merchants and financiers urged King Francis I of France to establish new trade routes. In 1523, the king asked Verrazzano to explore on France's behalf an area between Florida and Newfoundland , intending to find

1645-472: The end of the last glaciation, Cape Cod Bay was probably a large freshwater lake with drainages across Cape Cod in places like Bass River and Orleans Harbor. The Provincetown Spit, i.e., the land north of High Head in North Truro , was formed by marine deposits over the last 5,000-8,000 years. These deposits created Provincetown Harbor , a large, bowl-shaped section of Cape Cod Bay. Generally, currents in

1692-588: The expense and challenges associated with widely spread housing, as well as huge seasonal fluctuations in population due to summer tourists. Typical backyard sewage systems, which are not aimed at eliminating nitrogen, are responsible for an estimated 80% percent nitrogen dumping on Cape Cod Bay. The circumstances it generates devastate animal habitat and frequently violate water quality requirements, resulting in fish kills and decreased shellfisheries, among other things. The consequences of this pollution must be carefully managed. Another big issue affecting our coastal waters

1739-469: The lowest elevation. Drinking water comes entirely from groundwater. This sole-source aquifer, which is protected by local, regional, state, and federal restrictions, provides all of the Cape's drinking water. Watersheds connect nearly all of the Cape's waters, fetching water and releasing it into the ocean. There are 101 watersheds on Cape Cod that discharge into the ocean. 53 of them flow into embayments, which are vulnerable to nitrogen contamination, while

1786-462: The news of the French voyage. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a great debate in the United States about the authenticity of the letters that he wrote to Francis I to describe the geography, flora, fauna, and native population of the east coast of North America. Others thought that they were authentic, almost universally the current opinion, particularly after the discovery of

1833-421: The ocean's estuaries and embayments on Cape Cod. The Cape is home to more than a thousand lakes. Nearly 11,000 acres are covered by 996 freshwater ponds and lakes, with individual ponds and lakes ranging in size from less than one acre to 735 acres and 166 "big ponds" of 10 acres or more. Groundwater supplies the Cape's ponds and lakes. Groundwater can flow into and out of ponds thanks to the Cape's sandy soils. As

1880-528: The others discharge directly into the ocean. The Cape Cod Commission produced a regional framework for protecting and improving water quality and tracks progress in implementation through the Section 208 Water Quality Management Plan for Cape Cod. Cape Cod Bay is a world class fishing destination for many anglers. Popular fishing methods used to fish Cape Cod bay include trolling, live bait fishing, light tackle fishing, and fly fishing. Fisherman typically fish off

1927-541: The son of Piero Andrea di Bernardo da Verrazzano and Fiammetta Cappelli. It is generally claimed that he was born in the Castello di Verrazzano , hence its birth indicator (similar to Leonardo da Vinci ). Some alternative theories have been elaborated; for example, certain French scholars assume that Verrazzano was born in Lyon , France, the son of Alessandro di Bartolommeo da Verrazano and Giovanna Guadagni. "Whatever

Cape Cod Bay - Misplaced Pages Continue

1974-778: The town of Brewster , and are a unique environment. They are the widest expanse of tidal flats in North America , rivaled in the western hemisphere only by a similar expanse in Brazil . 41°54′N 70°18′W  /  41.9°N 70.3°W  / 41.9; -70.3 Giovanni da Verrazzano This is an accepted version of this page Giovanni da Verrazzano ( / ˌ v ɛr ə ˈ z ɑː n oʊ , - ə t ˈ s ɑː -/ VERR -ə- ZAH -noh, -⁠ət- SAH - , Italian: [dʒoˈvanni da (v)verratˈtsaːno] ; often misspelled Verrazano in English; 1485–1528)

2021-455: The water, release toxins, and produce a terrible taste and odor. Algae will continue to grow if not treated, disturbing an ecosystem's natural equilibrium, and can severely deplete water quality, potentially causing illness in our biological communities and humans. The Brewster Flats ( 41°46′46″N 70°3′40″W  /  41.77944°N 70.06111°W  / 41.77944; -70.06111 ) are tidal flats on Cape Cod Bay, particularly near

2068-576: Was an Italian ( Florentine ) explorer of North America , in the service of King Francis I of France . He is renowned as the first European to explore the Atlantic coast of North America between Florida and New Brunswick in 1524 , including New York Bay and Narragansett Bay . Verrazzano was born in Val di Greve , south of Florence , the capital and the main city of the Republic of Florence ,

2115-486: Was executed for piracy by the Spanish at Puerto del Pico, Spain . The geographic information derived from this voyage significantly influenced sixteenth-century cartographers. Despite his discoveries, Verrazzano's reputation did not proliferate as much as other explorers of that era. For example, Verrazzano gave the European name Francesca to the new land that he had seen, in accordance with contemporary practices, after

2162-640: Was probably intended to compliment one of Verrazzano's noble friends. There are several places called 'Normanville' in Normandy, France. The main one is located near Fécamp and another important one near Évreux , which would naturally be it. West of it, conjecturally on the Delaware or New Jersey coast, is a Longa Villa , which Verrazzano certainly named after François d'Orléans, duc de Longueville ." He stayed there for two weeks and then moved northwards. He discovered Cape Cod Bay , his claim being proved by

2209-708: Was separated from the others in a gale near the Cape Verde Islands . Still, Verrazzano reached the coast of Brazil with two ships and harvested a cargo of brazilwood before returning to Dieppe in September. The third ship returned later, also with a cargo of brazilwood. The partial success did not find the desired passage to the Pacific Ocean, but it inspired Verrazzano's final voyage, which left Dieppe in early 1528. There are conflicting accounts of Verrazzano's demise. In one version, during his third voyage to North America in 1528, after he had explored Florida,

#236763