First Fish Counts
on Stellwagen Bank Seek Biological Riches
July 1, 2001
Contact:
Anne Smrcina, 781-545-8026 x204
The
Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) today announced a team of divers will explore Stellwagen Bank
as part of a national effort to provide information on the health and
habitat of local fish populations. NOAA’s Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen
Bank National Marine Sanctuary, working with the local diving community,
is helping to sponsor this first-ever Great American Fish Count (GAFC)
in the Gulf of Maine region.
"The
data collected by our volunteer dive team will begin to allow us to
measure specific fish populations from year to year," said Craig
MacDonald, superintendent for the Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National
Marine Sanctuary. "The exciting aspect of these dives is seeing
what new and unusual species call Stellwagen their home."
The
Great American Fish Count, which began in 1992 and is managed by the
Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF), is one way for scientists
to better study and understand the marine world. The national scope
of the Fish Count has led to its incorporation into REEF’s partnership
with the National Marine Sanctuary System.
"We
realize that we have limited resources to conduct all the monitoring
needed in the Sanctuary System, and we rely on these volunteers to fill
in some of the gaps," said Dr. Steve Gittings, science coordinator for
NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary System. "We encourage people to get
involved in volunteer monitoring activities such as the Great American
Fish Count."
The
GAFC’s mission is to educate the public and raise awareness about
fish populations and the marine environment; generate information regarding
trends in fish populations; and encourage the participation and involvement
of divers and snorkelers in ongoing fish monitoring.
Each
year during July, an ever-growing number of volunteer divers and snorkelers
are participating in the Fish Count. Participants receive training in
local fish identification and behavior and also receive instruction
in an easy-to-learn survey method developed by fish ecologists. By recording
their observations in a standardized method, divers and snorkelers assist
resource managers in identifying long-term trends in fish populations
and distributions.
The
National Marine Sanctuary System is administered by NOAA's National
Ocean Service and serves as the trustee for the nations system of marine
protected areas. For more information on the Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary
and the 13-site National Marine Sanctuary System, please visit http://www.sanctuaries.nos.noaa.gov/.
For more
information on REEF and the Great American Fish Count, please visit
http://www.fishcount.org/events/events.html.
