New Delhi, Feb. 3 -- The seven victims of a tragic marine disaster in a historic Massachusetts fishing town included a fifth-generation fisherman, a young fisheries observer, and a father-and-son crew team. All lost their lives when their fishing vessel, the Lily Jean, sank off Gloucester, America's oldest seaport.

The sinking marks the latest in a series of maritime tragedies to strike Gloucester and its tightly knit fishing community. The town's fishing industry, immortalied in the book and film The Perfect Storm, is deeply rooted in more than 400 years of history marked by both resilience and recurring loss.

US Coast Guard officials announced Monday that they have identified all seven victims who perished when a commercial fishing ve...