Lowell Lecture
Protecting Stellwagen Bank: A History of the Sanctuary – 25 Years and Moving Forward
Date & Time
Nov. 30, 2017 at 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Location
New England Aquarium
1 Central Wharf Boston, MA 02110
Driving Directions
Speaker(s)
Richard Delaney, President and CEO of the Center for Coastal Studies, and Ben Haskell, Acting Superintendent of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Presenting Organization
Topics
Contact
Maggie See (AquariumLectures@neaq.org, 617-226-2183)
More than 25 years ago, threats to an underwater bank at the mouth of Massachusetts Bay abounded. Construction teams considered the sand and gravel fair game for the Big Dig, and a developer posited a plan for a casino complex on an oil rig-like platform. Luckily, whales, fish, and the backing of thousands of whale watchers, students, fishermen, and environmentalists sank those ideas. The productive region around Stellwagen Bank was designated a national marine sanctuary in 1992. Rich Delaney, President and CEO of the Center for Coastal Studies (which nominated Stellwagen Bank for sanctuary status), had served as director of the Mass.Coastal Zone Management Office during the process to create a sanctuary. Ben Haskell, the sanctuary’s acting superintendent, leads a team of researchers and educators who work to understand and protect this special place. They will provide a retrospective of the first 25 years of the New England’s only national marine sanctuary and a vision for the next 25 years.The challenges from climate change are substantial and complex but can be addressed through bold and creative actions that support the city’s vitality and livability. Boston can thrive in the coming decades if it takes action to adapt its people, its neighborhoods, and its economic and cultural assets, starting now. This work will be difficult, contentious, and complex. But if done well, it will not only create a resilient, climate-ready Boston—it will also dramatically improve the city and quality of life for all its residents.