The Environmental Protection Agency’s approval last week of a ban on wastewater discharge along the state coast was welcomed by Island towns and the Steamship Authority. The ban has been planned for 20 years.

It’s been a record-breaking year for Vineyard osprey, the majestic raptor that now nests on the Island in greater numbers than ever before.

Home to only two breeding pairs in 1970, the Island can now count 83 such pairs of osprey among its avian residents.

On the mainland, northern long-eared bats are quickly becoming rare sights as they fall victim to a disease called white-nose syndrome. The disease has never been documented on Martha's Vineyard. The bats here are safe, at least for the time being.

 Two evening planets are easy to see and are getting closer.

Sengekontacket Pond remains closed for shellfishing because of rainfall.

Three common dolphins made an appearance in the Edgartown harbor Monday, delighting onlookers and creating a buzz about the species of the mammalian visitors.

Scott Kraus, the vice president of research at New England Aquarium and a longtime whale researcher, positively identified them as common dolphins.