Intensive Study of the Western Gulf of Maine Closure Area

Groundfish

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have become a major management tool in attempts to rebuild declining fish stocks globally. The Western Gulf of Maine Closure Area was established in 1997 to help rebuild groundfish (e.g. cod, flounders) populations in the New England region. This project is one of several funded by the Northeast Consortium and UNH's CINEMAR that seeks to assess the effects of the closure on fisheries, as well as habitat conditions and social impacts. Andy Rosenberg, Ray Grizzle, Larry Mayer, Larry Ward, and Michael Lesser are the principal investigators.

 

 

 

Seafloor Sample

Sampling the seafloor near Jeffreys Ledge with a box corer deployed from fishing vessel (Jamie Adams, Craig Mavrikis)

Video System

Bryan Soares (Captain), Deb Brewitt (mate) and Paul Pelletier
(substitute Captain/mate) of the
R/V GULF CHALLENGER

Invertebrates

Collecting box core sample of the seabed in the vicinity of UNH's open ocean aquaculture site (Jenn Greene, Ray Grizzle)