Geologic and Biologic Studies of Georges Bank and the New England Shelf
Large areas of Georges Bank (which lies in both the US and Canada) and the New England Shelf have been closed to fishing for 25 years in order to conserve and rebuild fishery stocks. These closures, along with an increased need to improve characterization of the seabed, have provided the opportunity to map the extent of gravel substrates that dominant parts of the region, study the effects of fishing gear on seabed substrates, and to document substrate recovery.
This task conducts research on Georges Bank and the southern New England Shelf in collaboration with NOAA Fisheries (Northeast Region) and with the Geological Survey of Canada. The objectives of the task are to:
- Compile geologically-based interpretive maps of this region showing the surficial geology, sediment dynamics and distribution of substrate types on the New England Shelf and Georges Bank.
- Conduct research to assess the effects of natural disturbance, fishing gear-induced disturbance, and the infestation by an invasive species of tunicate, a marine invertebrate animal, on benthic substrates to determine substrate sensitivity and recovery rate.
Large areas of Georges Bank (which lies in both the US and Canada) and the New England Shelf have been closed to fishing for 25 years in order to conserve and rebuild fishery stocks. These closures, along with an increased need to improve characterization of the seabed, have provided the opportunity to map the extent of gravel substrates that dominant parts of the region, study the effects of fishing gear on seabed substrates, and to document substrate recovery.
This task conducts research on Georges Bank and the southern New England Shelf in collaboration with NOAA Fisheries (Northeast Region) and with the Geological Survey of Canada. The objectives of the task are to:
- Compile geologically-based interpretive maps of this region showing the surficial geology, sediment dynamics and distribution of substrate types on the New England Shelf and Georges Bank.
- Conduct research to assess the effects of natural disturbance, fishing gear-induced disturbance, and the infestation by an invasive species of tunicate, a marine invertebrate animal, on benthic substrates to determine substrate sensitivity and recovery rate.