Photos & Videos

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Ever wonder what it's like to be a marine scientist? Join us on a seabird tagging research cruise!

This work takes an entire team, with lots of prep work before, during, and after the cruise - follow along on our day to see what goes into this exciting process! Why follow the birds’ movements? Sanctuary scientists believe that seabirds — especially great shearwaters, one of the most common seabirds in the sanctuary — are excellent indicators of ecosystem health, and may provide insights into impacts of climate change.
Credit: Laura Howes/NOAA

a man holding a seabird on the decl of a ship

Our team is out this week satellite tagging Great Shearwaters! Stay tuned this week with updates from the field. So far - 8 birds have been tagged and sampled, giving scientists valuable information about their migration and lifecycle! Here you can see our Research Technician, Liam Waters, releasing a tagged shearwater!
Credit: Laura Howes/NOAA

#WhatsThatWednesday
Shearwater tags calibrating their GPS functions outside our office.
Credit: Caitlin Fitzmaurice/NOAA

boating tips around whales: see a spout watchout

Now that summer is up and running, spotting #whales at sea can be a magical experience for a boater, but it can also mean dangerous accidental collisions. Check out and share these tips below!
Credit: See a Spout

It’s #MarineDebrisMonday!
While scientists and researchers from NOAA’s Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary are out on research missions, they stop to pick up marine debris such as balloons as often as possible.
Credit: NOAA SBNMS

people under a stellwagen bank national marine sanctuary tent with a big inflatable whale tail in the background

On Saturday, June 1st, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary staff and volunteers joined the New England Aquarium’s annual World Ocean Day event, leading tours of Salt the life-sized inflatable Humpback whale. This year’s event theme was “Connecting Communities, Empowering Action for Our Ocean. Salt was prominently on display on the front plaza outside the aquarium’s main entrance. Visitors enjoyed tours of Salt, learning about Humpback whale anatomy, Salt's huge family tree, and why humpback whales visit Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. We loved chatting with so many visitors and making new friends!
Credit: Samantha Tolken/NOAA

In April 2024, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary staff and volunteers participated in Whales In Motion through Sound Explorations, a special interactive exhibit celebrating Massachusetts Right Whale Day at Boston’s Museum of Science. Blind and visually-impaired students and adults experienced the locomotion and foraging behavior of humpback and North Atlantic right whales through 3D sculpture models with musicians performing live. As participants ran their hands across these sculpture models, musicians performed action-specific melodies that matched the same contour and shape of the model. Credit: Laura Howes/NOAA