Stellwagen Bank
The Stellwagen Bank is an underwater plateau at the entrance of the Massachusetts Bay ( English Massachusetts Bay ), between Cape Cod and Cape Ann . It forms the heart of a marine nature reserve, the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary . As a popular whale watching area directly in front of the US city of Boston , Stellwagen Bank is of great tourist importance.
Geography and ecosystem
The bank extends about 30 km from north to south and is almost ten kilometers wide at the southern end. The plateau is only 30 to 40 meters below the surface of the water, while the surrounding waters are significantly deeper (100 to 200 m). The shallow water combined with the minerals and nutrients lifted up by deep water currents hitting the bank favor a rich ecosystem that also attracts large marine animals such as humpback , minke and occasionally fin whales .
Geology and history
Stellwagen Bank owes its existence to the last ice age . 25,000 years ago the Laurentide Ice Sheet moved over the eastern United States, pushing large amounts of earth and rock in front of it. This material formed a variety of geological formations on the southern edge of the glacier shield, including Cape Cod and Stellwagen Bank.
The enormous abundance of fish in the waters was recognized in the 17th century. Hunting for cod and tuna and whaling were of the greatest economic importance here .
In 1854 the US Navy dispatched Lieutenant Commander Henry Stellwagen to map the area. The bank was already known to exist, but not its size and shape. Before Stellwagen's investigations, it was also assumed that there were two banks, but this turned out to be wrong. For these services, the Navy named the bank after him in 1855.
In 1992 the US Congress declared the area a National Marine Sanctuary .
Web links
Coordinates: 42 ° 20 ′ N , 70 ° 15 ′ W