NOAA loses $450K Camera During Underwater Scallop Study

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) — Researchers on a vessel chartered by the federal government have lost a $450,000 underwater camera, delaying surveys important to the scallop industry.

A spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the vessel was conducting scallop surveys about 75 miles southeast of Delaware Bay when it lost the equipment. The Delaware Bay forms part of the border between New Jersey and Delaware.

The Standard Times reports that she says a cable towing the camera likely got snagged on a shipwreck in the area.

The surveys affect catch limits for scallops, which brought in more than $400 million in 2014. Catch limits help determine the availability and price of the mollusks.

NOAA says it will likely be able to complete most of the surveys.