STELLWAGEN BANK NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY

Project Leader:
Page Valentine
USGS, 384 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole, MA 02543

E-mail: pvalentine@usgs.gov
Phone: 508-457-2239 Fax: 508-457-2310

The Issue

The Stellwagen Bank NMS region supports commercial and recreational fisheries and serves as habitat for marine mammals, including endangered species of whales. The region also supports a whale-watch industry that draws 1.5 million tourists a year. The decline of commercial species due to overfishing and to disturbance of the sea bed by dredging and trawling has required increased management of fisheries resources and biological habitats. An active dump site is located adjacent to the sanctuary, and the new Boston sewage outfall lies 20 km to the west of it. There is a demand for the careful description of the marine environments and the processes that affect the sanctuary and the heavily utilized corridor that extends westward to Boston Harbor.

How the USGS is addressing this issue

This project will provide detailed maps of the Stellwagen Bank region's environments and habitats (based on sidescan sonar and sampling surveys) and the first maps showing complete multibeam bathymetric and sea floor characterization of a significant region of the shallow EEZ are being produced. The objectives include the mapping and characterization of the sea bed in the Stellwagen Bank region in terms of: geologic structure and stratigraphy; texture and morphology; sediment movement; impact of physical disturbance by storms, trawling, and dredging; distribution of benthic species in relation to habitats and near-bottom flow. Other important objectives are to identify, describe, and evaluate the role of currents (tidal, storm, internal wave) in the transport of suspended sediment and contaminants and nutrients, and to further develop the circulation model of the western Gulf of Maine region. The project is expected to provide a description of the sea floor environments, to understand processes that create and maintain them and the productivity of the bank, and to develop this knowledge into a GIS system accessible to scientists, policymakers, managers, and the public via the project's web site (http://vineyard.er.usgs.gov).

1999 Activities

Continue compilation of 18-quadrangle map series of Stellwagen Bank NMS region based on multibeam data showing sun-illuminated topography, seabed backscatter, and contoured topography. Compile interpretive maps showing sedimentary environments and biological habitats using sidescan sonar, photo, video, and sample.
Conduct high-resolution sidescan sonar survey, video/photo observations, geological and biological sampling in the Stellwagen Bank NMS region as part of a continuing effort to map the sea bed; cooperative with NOAA.
Compilation of 3-quadrangle map series of Massachusetts Bay based on multibeam data showing sun-illuminated topography, seabed backscatter, and contoured topography.
Preliminary interpretation of multibeam survey data from the nearshore Atlantic coast of Cape Cod, adjacent to the Stellwagen Bank NMS and off the Cape Cod National Seashore.
Determination of the effects of large-amplitude internal waves in the resuspension of bottom sediments in Stellwagen Basin, based on analysis of data collected at two sites in Massachusetts Bay in August 1998.

Accomplishments to Date

FY 1998 Accomplishments, Including Outreach:

The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary project conducted 3 cruises in FY 98 which mapped study areas using sidescan sonar, video camera, bottom samples, and biological observations. In addition, the project completed the multibeam mapping of the sanctuary region (1100 nm sq); mapped the corridor extending from the sanctuary to the new Mass Bay outfall site (see attached figure); and conducted the internal wave experiment in Stellwagen Basin. The project finished the first two map series (18 quads each at 1:25,000) showing contoured sea floor topography and sun-illuminated topographic images of the sanctuary region; and completed a final seabed interpretive map of an individual quadrangle. The project completed two 1:60,000 regional maps of contoured topography and sun-illuminated topography. The project also archived all processed data from the multibeam survey (1100 sq nm; 31 CD-ROMs). Results to date show the sanctuary is comprised of many habitats, each of which supports a distinctive seafloor community. Most of the habitats are heavily impacted by episodic major northeast storms and by continual disturbance by fishing gear. This information now is being used by managers in deciding whether to close some areas to fishing to allow recovery of the fishery and important habitats. The project's web site (http//:vineyard.er.usgs.gov) is jointly administered by NOAA and the USGS and provides information on the sanctuary and the products of the research being conducted there. The Stellwagen Bank NMS public outreach program and publications make extensive use of the data and images generated by the USGS.

USGS Cooperators

The project is conducted in cooperation with the following NOAA agencies: Stellwagen Bank NMS; National Ocean Service; National Marine Fisheries Service; and National Undersea Research Program.

Collaborators:

Peter Auster - University of Connecticut; fisheries and benthic habitat ecologist; collaborates in the description and mapping of benthic habitats and species distribution, and in defining the role of habitat in regulating the distribution and abundance of fishes and benthic species.

Larry Mayer and John Hughes-Clarke - University of New Brunswick; hydrographer and image processing software specialist; provide technical support and contribute to analysis and interpretation of data collected in the multibeam survey of the sanctuary.

Products

FY 1999 Products Completed:

Valentine, P.C., Baker, J.L., Unger, T.S., and Polloni, C., 1998, Sea floor topographic, backscatter, and interpretive maps and bottom photos of the Massachusetts Bay Disposal Site region off Boston, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-344, 1 CD-ROM.

Valentine, P.C., Baker, J.L., and Unger, T.S.,1999, Sun-illuminated sea floor topography of Quadrangle 1 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Series Map I-2701, scale 1:25,000, 1 sheet.

Valentine, P.C., Unger, T.S., and Baker, J.L., 1998, Sun-illuminated sea floor topography of Quadrangle 2 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Series Map I-2702, scale 1:25,000, 1 sheet.

Valentine, P.C., Baker, J.L., and Unger, T.S., 1999, Sun-illuminated sea floor topography of Quadrangle 3 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Series Map I-2703, scale 1:25,000, 1 sheet.

Valentine, P.C., Unger, T.S., and Baker, J.L., 1999, Sun-illuminated sea floor topography of Quadrangle 4 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Series Map I-2704, scale 1:25,000, 1 sheet..

Valentine, P.C., Baker, J.L., and Unger, T.S., 1999, Sun-illuminated sea floor topography of Quadrangle 5 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Series Map I-2705, scale 1:25,000, 1 sheet.

Valentine, P.C., Unger, T.S., and Baker, J.L., 1999, Sun-illuminated sea floor topography of Quadrangle 6 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Series Map I-2706, scale 1:25,000, 1 sheet.

Valentine, P.C., Baker, J.L., and Unger, T.S., 1999, Sun-illuminated sea floor topography of Quadrangle 7 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Series Map I-2707, scale 1:25,000, 1 sheet.

Valentine, P.C., Unger, T.S., and Baker, J.L., 1999, Sun-illuminated sea floor topography of Quadrangle 8 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Series Map I-2708, scale 1:25,000, 1 sheet.

Valentine, P.C., Baker, J.L., and Unger, T.S., 1999, Sun-illuminated sea floor topography of Quadrangle 9 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Series Map I-27091, scale 1:25,000, 1 sheet.

Valentine, P.C., Unger, T.S., and Baker, J.L., 1999, Sun-illuminated sea floor topography of Quadrangle 10 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Series Map I-2710, scale 1:25,000, 1 sheet.

Valentine, P.C., Baker, J.L., and Unger, T.S., 1999, Sun-illuminated sea floor topography of Quadrangle 11 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Series Map I-2711, scale 1:25,000, 1 sheet.

Valentine, P.C., Unger, T.S., and Baker, J.L., 1999, Sun-illuminated sea floor topography of Quadrangle 12 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Series Map I-2712, scale 1:25,000, 1 sheet.

Valentine, P.C., Baker, J.L., and Unger, T.S., 1999, Sun-illuminated sea floor topography of Quadrangle 13 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Series Map I-2713, scale 1:25,000, 1 sheet.

Valentine, P.C., Unger, T.S., and Baker, J.L., 1999, Sun-illuminated sea floor topography of Quadrangle 14 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Series Map I-2714, scale 1:25,000, 1 sheet.

Valentine, P.C., Baker, J.L., and Unger, T.S., 1999, Sun-illuminated sea floor topography of Quadrangle 15 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Series Map I-2715, scale 1:25,000, 1 sheet.

Valentine, P.C., Unger, T.S., and Baker, J.L., 1999, Sun-illuminated sea floor topography of Quadrangle 16 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Series Map I-2716, scale 1:25,000, 1 sheet.

Valentine, P.C., Baker, J.L., and Unger, T.S., 1999, Sun-illuminated sea floor topography of Quadrangle 17 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Series Map I-2717, scale 1:25,000, 1 sheet.

Valentine, P.C., Unger, T.S., and Baker, J.L., 1999, Sun-illuminated sea floor topography of Quadrangle 18 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Series Map I-2718, scale 1:25,000, 1 sheet.

Valentine, P.C., Baker, J.L., Unger, T.S., 1999, Sea floor topography of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region off Boston, Massachussetts: U.S. Geological Survey Geological Investigations Series Map I-2676A, scale 1:60,000, 1 sheet.

Valentine, P.C., Unger, T.S., and Baker, J.L.,1999, Sun-illuminated sea floor topography of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region off Boston, Massachussetts: U.S. Geological Survey Geological Investigations Series Map I-2676B, scale 1:60,000, 1 sheet.

Valentine, P.C., Unger, T.S., and Baker, J.L.,1999, Sun-illuminated sea floor topography and backscatter intensity of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region off Boston, Massachussetts: U.S. Geological Survey Geological Investigations Series Map I-2676C, scale 1:60,000, 1 sheet.

Baker, J.L., Unger, T.S., and Valentine, P.C., 1998, Mapping the sea floor in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Massachusetts Bay using GIS (abs.): EOS, American Geophysical Union Transactions, v. 79, no.45, p. F460-461.

Unger, T.S., Baker, J.L., and Valentine, P.C., 1998, Acoustic backscatter mapping: Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Massachusetts Bay (abs.): EOS, American Geophysical Union Transactions, v. 79, no.45, p. F461.

Baker, J.L., Unger, T.S., and Valentine, P.C., 1999, Using GIS and remote sensing technologies to map the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region off Boston, Massachusetts (abs.): Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs.

Unger, T.S., Baker, J.L., and Valentine, P.C., 1999, Sea floor sediment mapping based on acoustic backscatter strength: Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (abs.): Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs.

Valentine, P.C., Baker, J.L., and Unger, T.S., 1999, Glacial and modern sea floor features in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region off Boston, Massachusetts (abs.): Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs.

Valentine, P.C., Unger, T.S., and Baker, J.L., in preparation, Sediment texture and habitat distribution in Quadrangle 6 of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region off Boston, Massachussetts: U.S. Geological Survey Geological Investigations Series Map I-xxx, scale 1:25,000, 1 sheet

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