July 30, 2010 – Early explorers marveled at the abundance of marine life in Cape waters, but a new report released yesterday paints a picture of the decline of many species over hundreds of years in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, just a few miles to the north.
Scientists Stefan H. Claesson and Andrew A. Rosenberg mined ancient accounts, along with fishermen logbooks, fishermen interviews, recorded landings, research cruises and other historical documents for the report of the sanctuary, which covers 842 square miles of ocean from the waters north of Provincetown up to Cape Ann.
After three years of research, the report assesses the relative health and historical conditions of Stellwagen, designated a national marine sanctuary in 1992. Produced by the Gulf of Maine Cod Project at the University of New Hampshire, the report depicts a vastly depleted resource.
Read the complete story from The Cape Cod Times.