Texel

Since 1960, NIOZ, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, has been measuring the number and species of fish that swim in the Marsdiep, between Den Helder and Texel, day in and day out using a standard fyke, in spring and fall.

A merchant ship — carrying goods, passengers and a highly expensive silk satin dress that will centuries later become a topic of fascination — sinks, like so many other ships at the time, in the North Sea, off the Dutch island of Texel.

The dresses and other objects are on display at Museum Kaap Skil on Texel, a Dutch island about 60 miles north of Amsterdam with fewer than 14,000 residents.

The Texel ram lamb sold for the equivalent of about $490,000 at auction in Scotland this week, according to the Texel Sheep Society.

Texel are a sought-after breed of sheep originally from the Netherlands.