The Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is considered a jewel of New England coastal waters. Its 842-square-mile ecosystem is about three times more productive than the Gulf of Maine and twice as productive as Georges Bank, with over 575 known species of animals.
But it is also extremely vulnerable, bisected by one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, and the location of one of the nation's most valuable fishing grounds. It is also close to a major population center, metropolitan Boston, and is considered one of the world's great whale-watching venues. Given that level of demand, many breathed a sigh of relief when, after a decade of waiting, sanctuary officials released their first management plan last week that lays out how to address the various threats to its continued health.
Instead of proposing new regulations that could be enacted to protect the sanctuary, the new plan sets up so-called action plans that identify the threats, the needs for research and consensus building, as well as the agencies that should be involved in any future regulations.
Read the complete story from The Cape Cod Times.