NCCOS Report Helps NMFS Protect Endangered Whales in the Gulf of Maine
A recent National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science report has been used by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of Protected Resources to evaluate potential impacts and design appropriate monitoring and mitigation measures for a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Massachusetts Bay, MA. Spatial analyses and data from the recently released “An Ecological Characterization of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Region” is assisting managers in protecting endandered whales in the Gulf of Maine. The report is considered the best available synthesis of information on seasonal distribution and abundance of cetaceans in the southern Gulf of Maine. The report can be downloaded from .