Edit Organization: Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary

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{{short description|Marine protected area of Massachusetts, USA}} '''Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary''' (officially the '''Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary''') is an {{convert|842|sqmi|sqnmi km2|0|adj=on}} [[United States Government]]-protected [[National Marine Sanctuary|national marine sanctuary]] located at the mouth of [[Massachusetts Bay]] between [[Cape Cod]] and [[Cape Ann]]. It is known as an excellent [[whale watching]] site, and is home to many other [[species]] of [[marine life]]. The sanctuary's headquarters are located in [[Scituate, Massachusetts|Scituate]], Massachusetts. ==Stellwagen Bank== The sanctuary lies within [[Massachusetts Bay]], {{convert|25|mi|km}} east of [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], {{convert|5|mi|km}} east of [[Gloucester, Massachusetts|Gloucester]], Massachusetts, and {{convert|5|mi|km}} north of [[Provincetown, Massachusetts|Provincetown]], Massachusetts. The heart of the sanctuary is Stellwagen Bank, an [[underwater plateau]] stretching {{convert|19|mi|nmi km}} north to south, and {{convert|6|mi|nmi km}} across at its widest near its southern end. The bank is, on average, {{convert|100|to|120|ft|0}} below the surface, while surrounding waters to the west are over {{convert|300|ft|m|sigfig=2}} deep and to the northeast as deep as {{convert|600|ft|m|sigfig=2}}. The underwater cliff-edge of Stellwagen Bank runs parallel to the coastline and is referred to as the "[[Continental shelf|shelf]] break." The shelf break is a steep slope which descends thousands of feet (hundreds or thousands of meters) to the [[Seabed|ocean floor]]. Deep nutrient-rich [[ocean current]]s flowing along the coastlinee are forced upwards toward the surface when they come into contact with the steep slopes of the bank’s plateau. This creates [[upwelling]] at the shelf break, which occur because there are ocean currents flowing along the coast, slower moving water at the bottom of the ocean due to friction, stratified water separated by [[water density|density]], [[salinity]], and temperature, and a dramatic change in [[Seabed|seafloor]] slope.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/feature/where-the-food-is-in-the-sea-and-why/ | title=Where the Food is in the Sea, and Why }}</ref> This upwelling brings nutrients to the surface for [[phytoplankton]], which attracts larger organisms to feed. Over 130 [[species]] from numerous classes of the [[Animal|animal kingdom]] live at Stellwagen Bank at least temporarily. Some [[fish]] found there are the [[Atlantic cod]], [[silver hake]], [[yellowtail flounder]], [[bluefin tuna]], [[yellowfin tuna]], [[striped bass]], [[bluefish]] and numerous species of [[shark]] including the [[great white shark]].<ref>Boston Globe, June 28, 2010 "Shark no reason to close beaches"</ref> [[Shellfish]] such as the [[American lobster]], [[sea scallop]]s, [[squid]], and [[ocean quahog]]s are also prevalent. Many [[Seabird|marine birds]] live at Stellwagen Bank, including [[gannet]]s, [[shearwater]]s, [[storm petrel]]s, [[fulmar]]s, [[puffin]]s and [[razorbill]]s. [[Reptile]]s also are present, primarily represented by the [[leatherback sea turtle]]. Possibly the most famous animals on Stellwagen Bank are its [[marine mammal]]s. Five species of [[Pinniped|seals]] ([[harp seal]]s, [[gray seal]]s, [[harbor seal]]s, [[hooded seal]]s, and [[ringed seal]]s), and numerous [[whale]] species swim in the waters of Stellwagen Bank.<ref name="Center for Coastal Studies">Center for Coastal Studies</ref> Whale watchers frequently can see [[humpback whale]]s, [[minke whale]]s and [[fin whale]]s and occasionally sight of one of the most critically endangered whale species, the [[North Atlantic right whale]]. Other whale species seen include the [[sperm whale]], [[beluga whale]], [[orca]], [[pilot whale]], [[white-beaked dolphin]], [[Atlantic white-sided dolphin]], [[common dolphin]], [[bottlenose dolphin]], [[Risso’s dolphin]], [[harbor porpoise]], [[blue whale]], and [[sei whale]].<ref name="Center for Coastal Studies">Center for Coastal Studies</ref> ==History== Stellwagen Bank owes much of its existence to [[Last Glacial Period|the last major ice age]]. The [[Laurentide Ice Sheet]] advanced over the [[eastern United States]] 25,000 years ago, pushing in front of it large amounts of earth and rock. The southern margin of the [[glacier]]s formed local geographical features including [[Cape Cod]] and Stellwagen Bank. Originally, the Stellwagen Bank was above water, but gradually subsided over time as the [[post-glacial rebound]] subsided. In the [[17th century]] it was observed that the area made for excellent [[fishing]]. Large [[cod]] and [[tuna]] were caught frequently in the area, and [[whaling]] ships caught many whales in the area. In 1854, the [[United States Navy]] sent [[Lieutenant commander (United States)|Lieutenant Commander]] [[Henry Stellwagen]] to survey and map the area. It was known that there was an [[ocean bank]] in the area, but its extent and shape were not known. [[Sounding line|Sounding]] could show ships how close they were to the dangerous waters of [[Boston Harbor]], and so better maps were needed. Prior to Stellwagen's [[hydrographic survey]], it was believed there were two small banks in the area, one just to the north of Cape Cod, and one in the middle of the entrance to Massachusetts Bay. Stellwagen showed that they were part of one large bank. As a result, the U.S. Navy named the bank after him in 1855. On October&nbsp;7, 1992, the [[United States Congress]] authorized a [[National Marine Sanctuary|national marine sanctuary]] in the area.<ref name=NOAAabout>{{cite web |title=About the Sanctuary: Designation History |author=Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Web Group |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |url=http://stellwagen.noaa.gov/about/designation.html |access-date=2011-01-09}}</ref> The [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] designated the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary on November&nbsp;14,&nbsp;1992.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sanctuary Designations & Expansions |url=https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/about/designations.html |access-date=October 17, 2024 |website=NOAA}}</ref> In 1999, the [[submersible]] ''[[DeepWorker 2000]]'' was used to quantify the species of fish as well as the space resources within the sanctuary.<ref name=Auster2005>{{cite journal |author1=Auster, Peter J |author2=Lindholm, James |title=The Ecology of Fishes on Deep Boulder Reefs in the Western Gulf of Maine (NW Atlantic). |journal=In: Godfrey, JM; Shumway, SE. Diving for Science 2005. Proceedings of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences Symposium on March 10–12, 2005 at the University of Connecticut at Avery Point, Groton, Connecticut. |publisher=[[American Academy of Underwater Sciences]] |year=2005 |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/9014 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130415181648/http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/9014 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=April 15, 2013 |access-date=2011-01-09}}</ref> [[Remotely operated underwater vehicle]]s were used from 1993 to 2003 to make additional observations of the fish within the sanctuary and adjacent waters.<ref name=Auster2005/> ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * [http://stellwagen.noaa.gov/ Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary homepage] {{Protected areas of Massachusetts}} {{National marine sanctuaries of the United States}} {{authority control}} [[Category:National Marine Sanctuaries of the United States]] [[Category:Wildlife refuges in Massachusetts]] [[Category:Plateaus of the Atlantic Ocean]] [[Category:Protected areas established in 1992]] [[Category:1992 establishments in Massachusetts]]