Urge President Obama to Protect New England's Ocean Treasures
- by: The Pew Charitable Trusts
- recipient: President Barack Obama
Help us create the first marine national monument in the U.S. Atlantic Ocean.
In the U.S. waters of the Pacific Ocean, more than 600,000 square miles of marine habitat are protected from commercial and industrial activity. But in the Atlantic, that figure is zero. You have an opportunity right now to help change that.
New science shows that some special places off New England's coast are great candidates for permanent protection. The Coral Canyons and Seamounts host enormous numbers of whales and dolphins and contain unique deep-sea habitats where rare and vulnerable species are still being discovered, including ancient, fragile corals that can live for more than 1,000 years and grow to 10 feet tall. Cashes Ledge in the Gulf of Maine contains the largest continuous kelp forest in the U.S. Atlantic, providing a home for the iconic cod, and serving as a critical feeding ground for migratory whales, tunas, and seabirds.
These places have special scientific and cultural value – and are sensitive to disturbance, slow to recover, and threatened by extractive activities. They deserve the permanent protection we afford to the most important places in our country.
Urge President Obama to Make New England's ocean treasures a marine monument.
In the U.S. waters of the Pacific Ocean, more than 600,000 square miles of marine habitat are protected from commercial and industrial activity. But in the Atlantic, that figure is zero. You have an opportunity right now to help change that.
New science shows that some special places off New England's coast are great candidates for permanent protection. The Coral Canyons and Seamounts host enormous numbers of whales and dolphins and contain unique deep-sea habitats where rare and vulnerable species are still being discovered, including ancient, fragile corals that can live for more than 1,000 years and grow to 10 feet tall. Cashes Ledge in the Gulf of Maine contains the largest continuous kelp forest in the U.S. Atlantic, providing a home for the iconic cod, and serving as a critical feeding ground for migratory whales, tunas, and seabirds.
These places have special scientific and cultural value – and are sensitive to disturbance, slow to recover, and threatened by extractive activities. They deserve the permanent protection we afford to the most important places in our country.
Urge President Obama to Make New England's ocean treasures a marine monument.
Dear President Obama:
I am writing to add my voice to the call for the permanent protection of New England's coral canyons (specifically Oceanographer, Gilbert, Lydonia, Nygren, and Heezen Canyons), the only seamounts in the U.S. Atlantic (Bear, Physalia, Mytilus, and Retriever Seamounts), as well as the Cashes Ledge Closed Area as a national monument. While over 300,000 square miles of U.S. federal waters in the Pacific Ocean have monument status, that number is zero in the Atlantic Ocean.
At just over 6,000 square miles, these proposed areas comprise only 2 percent of the U.S. Atlantic Ocean territory, but they make exceptional contributions to their ecosystems. They are national treasures that deserve permanent protection as monuments. Recent scientific analysis shows that the Coral Canyons and Seamounts, and Cashes Ledge, are rich in features that support a wide variety of plant and animal life. These places represent some of the most biologically diverse and important habitats in New England's federal waters: a rare kelp forest, rocky underwater mountains, deep canyons, and cold seeps. Protecting a small percentage of our U.S. waters, especially those places with high scientific and ecological value, is not too much to ask.
Climate change is already having a pronounced impact on our marine ecosystems. In particular, scientists have shown that over the past decade, the Gulf of Maine's waters have warmed faster than almost any other ocean area in the world. We are only beginning to understand the effects on fish, mammals, and birds, but we know that increasing temperatures have contributed to the decline of the iconic cod. The U.S. government’s own guidance, from multiple natural resource agencies, states that one of the best ways to help marine wildlife survive the stress of climate change is by safeguarding the important habitats these animals need for reproduction, shelter, and feeding. It is time to provide permanent habitat protection for special places in the ocean so that they can help marine ecosystems adapt and thrive for generations to come.
Many throughout New England and across the nation agree. In September 2015, over 160,000 people wrote to the administration in support of protecting these places. More than 200 marine scientists, over 100 coastal New England businesses, and dozens of faith leaders, state legislators, and state senators have signed letters of support for this proposal.
[Your Comment]
I urge you, Mr. President, to create a marine national monument in the U.S. Atlantic. Thousands of us are ready to stand behind you.
[Your Name]
Sign PetitionSign PetitionI am writing to add my voice to the call for the permanent protection of New England's coral canyons (specifically Oceanographer, Gilbert, Lydonia, Nygren, and Heezen Canyons), the only seamounts in the U.S. Atlantic (Bear, Physalia, Mytilus, and Retriever Seamounts), as well as the Cashes Ledge Closed Area as a national monument. While over 300,000 square miles of U.S. federal waters in the Pacific Ocean have monument status, that number is zero in the Atlantic Ocean.
At just over 6,000 square miles, these proposed areas comprise only 2 percent of the U.S. Atlantic Ocean territory, but they make exceptional contributions to their ecosystems. They are national treasures that deserve permanent protection as monuments. Recent scientific analysis shows that the Coral Canyons and Seamounts, and Cashes Ledge, are rich in features that support a wide variety of plant and animal life. These places represent some of the most biologically diverse and important habitats in New England's federal waters: a rare kelp forest, rocky underwater mountains, deep canyons, and cold seeps. Protecting a small percentage of our U.S. waters, especially those places with high scientific and ecological value, is not too much to ask.
Climate change is already having a pronounced impact on our marine ecosystems. In particular, scientists have shown that over the past decade, the Gulf of Maine's waters have warmed faster than almost any other ocean area in the world. We are only beginning to understand the effects on fish, mammals, and birds, but we know that increasing temperatures have contributed to the decline of the iconic cod. The U.S. government’s own guidance, from multiple natural resource agencies, states that one of the best ways to help marine wildlife survive the stress of climate change is by safeguarding the important habitats these animals need for reproduction, shelter, and feeding. It is time to provide permanent habitat protection for special places in the ocean so that they can help marine ecosystems adapt and thrive for generations to come.
Many throughout New England and across the nation agree. In September 2015, over 160,000 people wrote to the administration in support of protecting these places. More than 200 marine scientists, over 100 coastal New England businesses, and dozens of faith leaders, state legislators, and state senators have signed letters of support for this proposal.
[Your Comment]
I urge you, Mr. President, to create a marine national monument in the U.S. Atlantic. Thousands of us are ready to stand behind you.
[Your Name]
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