Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment

Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment
The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment was established in 1989 by the Governments of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts to foster cooperative actions within the Gulf watershed. Its mission is to maintain and enhance environmental quality in the Gulf of Maine to allow for sustainable resource use by existing and future generations.

Councilors
Action Plan 2007-2012
About the Council

The State of the Gulf of Maine Report is published

The State of the Gulf of Maine Report is a modular, living document that consists of several parts, including this context document and a series of theme or issue papers. The Gulf of Maine in Context is intended to provide an introduction to the natural and socio-economic environment of the Gulf of Maine. The aim is to provide the information in a form that is easily accessible and readable, and that immerses the reader in the region. It is complementary to the theme papers, which provide a more in-depth look at important issues within the Gulf (Table 1), based on the six priority areas recognised by the Council under ESIP. The intention is that the theme papers will be developed incrementally and can be regularly updated at a time interval appropriate to each issue (see www.gulfofmaine.org/stateofthegulf).

Click here for The State of the Gulf of Maine Report

Gulf of Maine Restoration and Conservation Initiative

The Gulf of Maine Restoration and Conservation Initiative is a collaborative effort focused on developing a strategic framework for a unified and comprehensive restoration and conservation strategy for the bi-national Gulf of Maine. The framework identifies seven key "issue areas," including:

Coastal Fish and Wildlife Populations and their Habitats
Coastal Water Quality
Invasive species in the coastal and marine environment
Abandoned fishing gear and other debris
The impacts of climate change
Long-range planning, science, and communication in collaboration with
states, Tribes, NGOs (Non-governmental Organizations) and other stakeholders
Measuring and monitoring improvements (or declines) over time.

Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative (GOMMI)
The Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative (GOMMI) is a U.S.-Canadian partnership of government and nongovernment organizations to conduct comprehensive seafloor imaging, mapping, and biological and geological surveys.

Ecosystem Indicator Partnership (ESIP)
Interactive map showing the locations of monitoring programs for aquatic habitat, climate change, coastal development, contaminants, eutrophication, and fisheries and aquaculture.

ESIP Monitoring Map

Regional Habitat Monitoring Data System
Web-based system that enables sharing, integration, and use of coastal habitat monitoring data. As a proof of concept, the system has been developed initially with data from a limited number of monitoring sites in salt marshes and seagrass beds.

Regional Habitat Monitoring Data System

Gulf of Maine KnowledgeBase
Bibliographic database of scientific papers, technical reports, workshop proceedings, fact sheets, and other information related to ocean and coastal management in the Gulf of Maine and its watershed.

KnowledgeBase

Feed of 10 articles most recently added to the KnowledgeBase

Habitat Restoration Web Portal
Resources for planning and implementing habitat restoration projects in the Gulf of Maine and its watershed. Mapping tools. Restoration project summaries.

Habitat restoration grants RFP is released. The period for submitting online full proposals is March 1st - April 2nd 2010.
Click here for more information.

Habitat Restoration Portal

Restoration Inventory
484 potential sites for habitat restoration in 4 Gulf of Maine watersheds: Kennebec River, Royal River, Presumpscot River, and Spruce Creek. Interactive map and search tool. Sites categorized by town, waterbody, habitat, source of degradation, area of habitat affected, type of restoration needed, and cost rank.

Restoration Inventory: Map
Restoration Inventory: Search

Gulfwatch
Measuring contaminants in blue mussels to assess the types and concentration of contaminants in coastal waters of the Gulf of Maine. Interactive map. Downloadable data.

Gulfwatch

About the Gulf of Maine
Introductory information, maps, and photographs. The Gulf of Maine is bordered by Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. It covers 93,000 square kilometers (36,000 square miles) of ocean and has 12,000 kilometers (7,500 miles) of coastline.

About the Gulf of Maine