In the water, they are funny little creatures. At the Fulton Fish Market and other wholesalers, these Peconic Gold scallops sell for $40 per pound. There are dozens of scallop species, but the one that calls Peconic Bay home, Argopecten irradians, is particularly prized for its sweet, buttery flavor. Most of the scallops in the Peconic Bay are a sooty gray, but genetic variability punctuates some with distinct white lines running parallel to its telltale crinkle, or in other cases tinges its surface with a mélange of white and a dusty orange. The northeastern bay scallop looks exactly like an ordinary beach shell: a rounded edge, a corrugated surface and a gently curving contour that tapers into a straight-edged hinge at the base. Why? Scientists have unearthed a trifecta of reasons behind the die-off, with climate change and a mysterious parasite playing key roles. Almost 95% of the adult population that spawns at the start of the season is wiped out as November nears. This is the fourth year in a row that the fishery has been devastated. The scallops spawn as usual in the summer but are almost all dead by fall, right before harvest season. Now, it’s closer to 15 pounds on a good day. A decade ago, Wenczel would pull in 30 pounds of scallop meat per day this time of year. February is the tail-end of scallop season, which runs from November to March each year in New York. The elusive catch is the northeastern bay scallop.
It’s because there’s nothing left to harvest. Now, his boat is the only one on the water apart from the Coast Guard’s - but it’s not because of the weather. “Normally, there’s dozens of guys going even this late in the season,” Wenczel says.
Dredging for scallops is a wintertime endeavor, and the frigid February air makes it an especially arduous task. They’re rugged from head to toe, clad in orange and gray fishing bibs and blue insulated gloves to keep out the cold and the wet. Scientists suspect this incomplete seal, where the scallop’s eyes stare back at you, makes the creature less hardy than their oyster or mussel cousins.
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