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Lowell

Augusta

Manchester

Boston

Cambridge

Providence

CANADA

Portland

66°0'0"W

66°0'0"W

69°0'0"W

69°0'0"W

45°0'0"N45°0'0"N

42°0'0 N"42°0'0"N

0 20 40 80 Km

MARINE PROTECTED AREAS in the GULF of MAINE

This map provides information regarding the distribution of marine protected

areas throughout the Gulf of Maine. The boundaries for the areas shown were

compiled into a spatial database by NOAA's Marine Protected Areas Center.

Data were obtained from various federal agencies and participating state and

local management offices and are current as of December 2007. Note that

certain data gaps still exist. Please contact the MPA Center to provide

information on sites that are missing from this catalog.

ID Site Name Level of Protection Primary Conservation Focus Fishing Restrictions Area (km2

)

1 Offshore Lobster Waters Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 336041.85

2 Other Northeast Gillnet Waters Area Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 297428.21

3 Mid-Atlantic Coastal Waters Area Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 111767.50

4 GOM Rolling Closure Area I Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production Commercial Restricted 68891.39

5 Southern Nearshore Lobster Waters Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 65705.85

6 Northern Nearshore Lobster Waters Area Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 51489.91

7 Waters off New Jersey Closure Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 34746.46

8 Georges Bank Seasonal Closure Area Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production Commercial Restricted 21904.99

9 Offshore Closure Area Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 16086.34

10 Northern Inshore State Lobster Waters Area Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 15729.94

11 SAM East Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 13182.33

12 Mid-Coast Closure Area Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 12036.42

13 Cape Cod South Closure Area Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 9866.13

14 Great South Channel Restricted Lobster Area Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 8356.09

15 Northeast Closure Area Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 7534.90

16 Great South Channel Restricted Gillnet Area Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 7502.18

17 Closed Area II Zoned Multiple Use Sustainable Production Commercial Restricted 6734.15

18 Nantucket Lightship Closed Area Zoned Multiple Use Sustainable Production All Restricted 6265.80

19 Stellwagen Bank/Jeffreys Ledge Restricted Area Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 5271.84

20 SAM West Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 5008.70

21 Closed Area I Zoned Multiple Use Sustainable Production Commercial Restricted 3940.44

22 Nantucket Lightship Habitat Closure Area Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production Commercial Restricted 3409.98

23 Western Gulf of Maine Closure Area Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production All Restricted 3010.52

24 Cape and Islands Ocean Sanctuary Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 2834.59

25 Mudhole Closure Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 2786.52

26 Closed Area I Habitat Closure Areas Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production Commercial Restricted 2525.88

27 Massachusetts Bay Closure Area Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 2375.60

28 Western Gulf of Maine Habitat Closure Area Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production Commercial Restricted 2272.54

29 Gerry E. Studds/Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 2189.75

30 Right Whale Critical Habitat and Adjacent Waters Restricted Gear Area Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 1816.14

31 Cape Cod Bay Year-Round Fish Pot Trawl Floating Ground Line Prohibition Area Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 1749.38

32 Cape Cod Bay Restricted Area Zoned Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 1665.41

33 Cape Cod Bay Ocean Sanctuary Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 1588.55

34 Cashes Ledge Closure Area Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production Commercial Restricted 1425.38

35 Cashes Ledge Closure Area (Multispecies) Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production Commercial Restricted 1373.31

36 Closed Area II Habitat Closure Area Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production Commercial Restricted 1371.54

37 Winter Flounder Spawning Closure Area Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production All Restricted 1125.76

38 North Shore Groundfish Closure Area Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production Commercial Restricted 542.17

39 Jeffrey's Bank Habitat Closure Area Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production Commercial Restricted 499.43

40 Cape Cod Ocean Sanctuary Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 482.54

41 North Shore Ocean Sanctuary Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 449.72

42 Cashes Ledge Habitat Closure Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production Commercial Restricted 313.26

43 Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge Zoned No Take Natural Heritage Commercial Prohibited 276.83

44 South Essex Ocean Sanctuary Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 236.19

45 Cape Cod National Seashore Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage All Restricted 164.20

46 Acadia National Park Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage All Restricted 157.01

47 Great South Channel Sliver Restricted Area Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage All Restricted 105.69

48 Parker River/Essex Bay Area of Critical Environmental Concern Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 103.25

49 Salt Ponds Region Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage All Restricted 101.37

50 Gateway National Recreation Area Zoned Multiple Use Natural Heritage All Restricted 67.51

51 Fire Island National Seashore Zoned Multiple Use Natural Heritage All Restricted 57.67

52 Upper Narragansett Bay Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage All Restricted 38.89

53 Sandy Neck/Barnstable Harbor Area of Critical Environmental Concern Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 36.96

54 Narrow River Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage All Prohibited 36.43

55 Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage All Prohibited 35.60

56 Wellfleet Harbor Area of Critical Environmental Concern Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 31.53

57 Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge Zoned Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 29.60

ID Site Name Level of Protection Primary Conservation Focus Fishing Restrictions Area (km2

)

58 Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage All Restricted 27.04

59 Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge No Access Natural Heritage All Prohibited 26.11

60 Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage All Restricted 25.81

61 Sakonnet River Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production All Restricted 23.31

62 Pleasant Bay Area of Critical Environmental Concern Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 22.60

63 Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Unrestricted 17.88

64 Robert Moses State Park - Long Island Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 14.72

65 Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production Commercial Prohibited 13.81

66 Greenwich Bay Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production All Restricted 13.65

67 Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Prohibited 11.59

68 Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage All Restricted 11.47

69 Rumney Marshes Area of Critical Environmental Concern Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 11.28

70 Inner Cape Cod Bay Area of Critical Environmental Concern Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 10.55

71 Jones Beach State Park Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 10.28

72 Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 9.85

73 Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 8.19

74 William Forward Wildlife Management Area Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 7.47

75 Hither Hills State Park Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 6.97

76 Boston Harbor Islands National Recreational Area ? ? ? 6.46

77 Heckscher State Park Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 6.33

78 Caumsett State Historic Park Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 6.19

79 Cross Island National Wildlife Refuge No Take Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 6.16

80 Napeague State Park Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 6.02

81 West Bay Seed Mussel Conservation Area Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production All Restricted 5.47

82 Governor Alfred E. Smith/Sunken Meadow State Park Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 4.69

83 Waquoit Bay Area of Critical Environmental Concern Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 4.49

84 Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage All Prohibited 4.49

85 Gilgo State Park Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 4.31

86 Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage All Prohibited 4.27

87 Weymouth/Hingham Back River Area of Critical Environmental Concern Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 3.88

88 Weir River Area of Critical Environmental Concern Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 3.77

89 John H. Chafee National Wildlife Refuge Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage All Prohibited 3.77

90 Potowomut River Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production All Restricted 3.74

91 Montauk Point State Park Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 3.27

92 Wildwood State Park Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 3.19

93 Harrington River Seed Mussel Conservation Area Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production All Restricted 3.11

94 Camp Hero State Park Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 3.00

95 Narraguagus Bay Seed Mussel Conservation Area Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production All Restricted 2.89

96 High Banks Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production All Restricted 2.65

97 Nomans Land Island National Wildlife Refuge No Access Natural Heritage All Prohibited 2.50

98 Kickemuit River Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production All Restricted 2.24

99 Captree State Park Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 2.19

100 Horseneck Beach State Reservation Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Recreational Restricted 2.17

101 Neponset River Estuary Area of Critical Environmental Concern Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 1.92

102 Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Prohibited 1.79

103 Jordan River Seed Mussel Conservation Area Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production All Restricted 1.53

104 Orient Beach State Park Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 1.41

105 Bourne Back River Area of Critical Environmental Concern Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 1.29

106 Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage All Prohibited 1.05

107 Bissel Cove/Fox Island Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production All Restricted 0.90

108 Seatuck National Wildlife Refuge No Access Natural Heritage Commercial Prohibited 0.88

109 Pocasset River Area of Critical Environmental Concern Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 0.65

110 Boston National Historical Park ? ? ? 0.60

111 Nissequogue River State Park Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 0.57

112 Bristol Harbor Shellfish Transplant Area Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production All Restricted 0.49

113 Newcastle Conservation Area I Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production All Restricted 0.43

114 Boston African American National Historic Site ? ? ? 0.42

ID Site Name Level of Protection Primary Conservation Focus Fishing Restrictions Area (km2

)

115 Shadmoor State Park Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 0.41

116 Target Rock National Wildlife Refuge Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Prohibited 0.33

117 Block Island National Wildlife Refuge Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Prohibited 0.28

118 Ellisville Harbor Area of Critical Environmental Concern Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 0.25

119 Conscience Point National Wildlife Refuge No Impact Natural Heritage All Prohibited 0.25

120 Mill Gut, Colt Park Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production All Restricted 0.24

121 New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park ? ? ? 0.20

122 Ram Island State Wildlife Sanctuary- Salisbury Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 0.10

123 Saint Croix International Historic Site ? ? ? 0.10

124 Bayswater Point State Park Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 0.07

125 Milk Island (Knight) State Wildlife Sanctuary Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 0.05

126 Jenny's Creek Uniform Multiple Use Sustainable Production All Restricted 0.05

127 Demarest Lloyd State Park Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Recreational Restricted 0.05

128 Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site ? ? ? 0.04

129 Pond Island National Wildlife Refuge Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage Commercial Restricted 0.04

130 Herring River Watershed Area of Critical Environmental Concern Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 0.04

131 Salem Maritime National Historic Site ? ? ? 0.04

132 Egg Rock (Henry Cabot Lodge) State Wildlife Sanctuary Uniform Multiple Use Natural Heritage No Restrictions 0.01

133 U.S.S. Grouse Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

134 California Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

135 Pottstown Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

136 Lackawana Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

137 Pendelton Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

138 Seaconnet Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

139 Charles S. Haight Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

140 Herman Winter Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

141 Herbert Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

142 John Dwight Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

143 Kiowa Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

144 Albert Gallatin Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

145 Alice M. Colburn Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

146 Barge and Crane Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

147 City of Salisbury Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

148 Edwin Rich Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

149 Henry Endicott Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

150 Lunet Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

151 Ardandau Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

152 Corvan Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

153 Van Gilder Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

154 Pinthis Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

155 Port Hunter Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

156 Romance Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

157 Hilda Garston Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

158 Kershaw Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

159 H.M.C.S. Saint Clair Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

160 Trojan Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

161 Chelsea Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

162 Pemberton Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

163 U.S.S. Triana Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

164 Vineyard Sound Lightship Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

165 Mars Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

166 Dixie Sword Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

167 U.S.S. Yankee Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

168 U.S.S. YSD Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

169 Chester A. Poling Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

170 James S. Longstreet Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

171 U.S.S. New Hampshire Exempt Site Uniform Multiple Use Cultural Heritage No Restrictions ?

Uniform Multiple-Use: MPAs or zones with a consistent level of

protection and allowable activities, including certain extractive uses,

across the entire protected area.

Zoned Multiple-Use: MPAs that allow some extractive activities

throughout the entire site, but that use marine zoning to allocate

specific uses to compatible places or times in order to reduce user

conflicts and adverse impacts.

Zoned Multiple-Use With No-Take Area(s): Multiple-use MPAs that

contain at least one legally established management zone in which all

resource extraction is prohibited.

No-Take: MPAs or zones that allow human access and even some

potentially harmful uses, but that totally prohibit the extraction or

significant destruction of natural or cultural resources.

No Impact: MPAs or zones that allow human access, but that prohibit all

activities that could harm the site’s resources or disrupt the ecological

or cultural services they provide.

No Access: MPAs or zones that restrict all human access to the area in

order to prevent potential ecological disturbance, unless specifically

permitted for designated special uses such as research, monitoring or

restoration.

MPAs in the U.S. vary widely in the level and type of legal protections afforded

to the site’s natural and cultural resources and ecological processes. Any MPA,

or management zone within a larger MPA, can be characterized by one of the

following six levels of protection, which will directly influence its effects on the

environment and human uses.

Natural Heritage: MPAs or zones established and managed wholly

or in part to sustain, conserve, restore, and understand the

protected area’s natural biodiversity, populations, communities,

habitats, and ecosystems; the ecological and physical processes

upon which they depend; and, the ecological services, human uses

and values they provide to this and future generations.

CONSERVATION FOCUS

Cultural Heritage: MPAs or zones established and managed wholly

or in part to protect and understand submerged cultural resources

that reflect the nation’s maritime history and traditional cultural

connections to the sea.

Sustainable Production: MPAs or zones established and managed

wholly or in part with the explicit purpose of supporting the

continued extraction of renewable living resources (such as fish,

shellfish, plants, birds, or mammals) that live within the MPA, or

that are exploited elsewhere but depend upon the protected area’s

habitat for essential aspects of their ecology or life history.

LEVEL OF PROTECTION

Most MPAs have legally established goals, conservation objectives, and

intended purpose(s). Common examples include MPAs created to conserve

biodiversity in support of research and education; to protect benthic habitat in

order to recover over-fished stocks; and to protect and interpret shipwrecks for

maritime education. These descriptors of an MPA are reflected in the site’s

Conservation Focus, which represents the characteristics of the area that the

MPA was established to conserve. The Conservation Focus, in turn, influences

many fundamental aspects of the site, including its design, location, size, scale,

management strategies and potential contribution to surrounding ecosystems.

U.S. MPAs generally address one or more of these areas of Conservation

Focus:

National Marine Fisheries Service Sites

12

Massachusetts Exempt Sites (Shipwrecks)

Site ID (see table below for classification)

Maine

New Hampshire

Massachusetts

R.I.

Note: Highlighted IDs indicate sites that are not in the MPACs database

National Estaurine Research Reserves

National Wildlife Refuges

National Park Service MPAs

National Marine Sanctuaries

State of Massachusetts MPAs

State of Rhode Island MPAs

State of Maine MPAs

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*Sites are not in the MPAC database

**Sites are locations of Shipwrecks (no area available)