LECTURE SERIES

Spring Lecture:Underwater Yellowstones: Marine Sanctuaries off Our Coast and Associated Benefits and Challenges for Fish, Whales, Scientists, and Humans

Featuring:Benjamin Haskell, Acting Superintendent, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA

Ben will discuss the 45-year-old marine sanctuary system, in particular the 25-year-old Stellwagen Bank and research projects that are provid-ing crucial information about the species that live there.

Jenni Stanley, Marine Scientist, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA

Using remote hydrophone recorders, Jenni listens to fish and whales, and human-made sounds in four national marine sanctuaries: Stellwagen Bank, Gray’s Reef, Florida Keys, and Flower Garden Banks. Her eavesdropping has led to some surprising and not-so-surprising discoveries.

Michelle Bachman, Habitat Coordinator, New England Fishery Management Council

There’s another type of protected ocean area off New England. NEFMC designates closed areas in order to protect 28 different species from trawling, dredging, and other fishing activities. Michelle will discuss, in particular, a new mosaic of closures along the Eastern Seaboard aimed at protecting deep-sea corals, creatures that are vital to the sea’s web of life and yet extremely vulnerable to human disturbances.

Working to Restore and Maintain Ocean Health and Marine Wildlife

Thursday, April 26 | Lecture: 7 pm, Reception: 6 pmMuseum Members: $10 | Non-members: $15508-997-0046 ext. 100 | whalingmuseum.org

This event is part of a lecture series that runs twice each year at the Whaling Museum, once in the spring and once in the fall.

Where the Land Meets the Sea

Top: Primnoa corals and anemones. Corals and anemones were observed at Western Jordan Basin by the Kraken 2 ROV in 2014. Credit: Gulf of Maine Deep Coral Science Team 2014/NURTEC-UConn/NOAA Fisheries/UMaine. Bottom: A map of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.