The Press of Atlantic City reports that a massive sea scallop bed has been discovered off the coast of Cape May. The report quotes Dvora Hart, a mathematical biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who estimates the numbers of scallops in the billions. The scallop set is concentrated at the Elephant Trunk, about 40 miles southeast of Cape May. Based upon 4 million images captured by NOAA’s underwater camera, Hart estimates that 10 billion sea scallops are located in the most concentrated area, covering 1,500 square miles. The report says that the area will be limited to three trips this year for 325 East Coast scallop boats at 17,000 pounds per trip. Smaller boats on day trips will be allowed to land 600 pounds per trip.
