https://cdn.earthdata.nasa.gov/conduit/upload/5182/KeywordsCommunityGuide_Baseline_v1_SIGNED_FINAL.pdf 23.6 2026-03-19T10:41:57.720Z https://gcmd.earthdata.nasa.gov/KeywordViewer/scheme/providers/b16f5277-034a-4cac-b56f-22c7aab89aaf DOC/NOAA/NOS/NMS/STELLWAGEN The Gerry E. Studds-Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary's mission is toconserve, protect, and enhance the biodiversity, ecological integrity, andcultural legacy of this 842-square-mile stretch of open water and the seafloorbelow located at the mouth of Massachusetts Bay.The Gerry E. Studds-Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is one of 13sites in a system of special marine areas selected for their ecological,recreational, historical, and/or aesthetic values. The designation was made topromote comprehensive long-term management of the resources to ensure that theysurvive for the use and enjoyment of future generations.Stellwagen Bank was selected as a member for its historical importance as afishing ground and its more recent fame as a whalewatching destination. In1996, the World Wildlife Fund named the area one of its ten top whalewatchingsites in the world (and the only one in the continental United States). It isbelieved that close to a million people now take commercial wildlife viewingtrips out to Stellwagen Bank annually.