New England has a vibrant marine ecosystem that is beautiful, fragile and highly diverse. It supports seagrass meadows, rockweed and kelp forests that provide young of the year fish and many other species a place to hide from visual predators like striped bass, hake and pollock. Other inhabitants along the sandy seafloor, rocky shores, and shipwrecks include flounder, rays, sea robins and colorful anemones that create living structures. Moving more quickly within the open ocean are giant schools of mackerel, squid and sandlance. Even faster are blue sharks, dolphins, seals and sea birds that migrate great distances to feed within the nutrient rich waters. Many of these marine animals thrive in the crown jewel of New England, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, located just 25 nautical miles off the coat of Boston. This mosaic of habitats and wildlife are all inter-connected to create a healthy and productive marine ecosystem.
◾ Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) bubble feeding
© 2022 Keith Ellenbogen
◾ Gray seal (Halichoerus grypus)
© 2022 Keith Ellenbogen
◾ Blue shark (Prionace glauca)
© 2022 Keith Ellenbogen
◾ Portuguese man o’ war (Physalia physalis)
© 2022 Keith Ellenbogen
◾ An underwater perspective of a gull in flight
© 2022 Keith Ellenbogen
◾ Northern pufferfish (Sphoeroides maculatus)
© 2022 Keith Ellenbogen
◾ Bushy back Nudibranchs (Dendronotus frondosus)
© 2022 Keith Ellenbogen
◾ Goosefish (Lophius americanus)
© 2022 Keith Ellenbogen
◾ Seabirds and dolphin feed on a bait ball of sandlance (Ammodytes dubius)
© 2022 Keith Ellenbogen
◾ Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) bubble feeding
◾ Gray seal (Halichoerus grypus)
◾ Blue shark (Prionace glauca)
◾ Portuguese man o’ war (Physalia physalis)
◾ An underwater perspective of a gull in flight
◾ Northern pufferfish (Sphoeroides maculatus)
◾ Bushy back Nudibranchs (Dendronotus frondosus)
◾ Goosefish (Lophius americanus)
◾ Seabirds and dolphin feed on a bait ball of sandlance (Ammodytes dubius)
Gallery View