Press Releases

CONTACT:
Anne Smrcina
Stellwagen Bank
National Marine Sanctuary
(781) 545-8026

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) welcomes three New England residents to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council.  The newly elected member and two alternates are: Business/Industry member: Tim Moll, general manager/vice president of Brewer Plymouth Marine in Plymouth, MA; and Business alternate David Jensen (two-year term), manager for Flagship Marinas/Marina Bay on Boston Harbor in Quincy, MA. ; and Education alternate: Jack Crowley (three-year term), of Fairhaven, MA, the executive director of the Massachusetts Marine Educators and a retired high school marine science teacher with over 40 years of experience.

“These members bring a unique perspective to the sanctuary advisory council based on their long experience in the New England area,” said Craig MacDonald, superintendent of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. “We are pleased that they have chosen to offer their considerable talents to help us manage the resources of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. 

Moll, in addition to his duties at Brewer Plymouth Marine, is a boat builder, offshore sailor and a member of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association.  He also holds memberships in the American Boat Builders and Repairers Association and Marina Operators of America 

Jensen is a recreational boater in his off hours from Marina Bay.  In the course of his work, he has instituted various programs to reduce environmental impacts, including development of a water treatment system for pressure washing boat hulls and upgrading the marina's pump-out system.

Crowley, a leader in marine science education in the state, now serves as adjunct faculty to the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, science facilitator for the National Science Foundation's Center for Ocean Sciences Excellence in Education (COSEE) projects at UMass (Boston and Dartmouth campuses), and as a teacher educator for the New Bedford Oceanarium and New Bedford Public Schools.  He was named "National Marine Educator of the Year" in 1989.

The 21-member Council is made up of 15 voting members, 15 alternates and six ex-officio non-voting members. Members are chosen based upon their expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying.  Considerations include community and professional affiliations, philosophy regarding the conservation and management of marine resources, geographic representation, and the length of residence in the area affected by the sanctuary.

The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council was established in March 2001 to assure continued public participation in the management of the sanctuary.  Serving in a volunteer capacity, the council’s 15 voting members and alternates represent a variety of local user groups, as well as the general public.  Additionally six state and federal government jurisdictional partners are represented: Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries, Massachusetts Environmental Police, New England Fisheries Management Council, NOAA Fisheries and U.S. Coast Guard.

Since its establishment, the council has played a vital role in advising the sanctuary and NOAA on critical issues and is currently focused on the sanctuary’s development of a new five-year management plan.  Additionally, the council serves as liaison to the community regarding sanctuary issues.  Council members relay the community’s interests, concerns, and management needs to the sanctuary.  The council meets four times a year, in daytime public sessions generally held in locations between Boston's south and north shore areas.

Designated in 1992, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary encompasses 842 square miles of ocean, stretching between Cape Ann and Cape Cod.  Renowned for its scenic beauty and remarkable productivity, the sanctuary supports a rich diversity of marine life including marine mammals, more than 30 species of seabirds, more than 100 species of fishes, and hundreds of marine invertebrates and plants. Additionally, the sanctuary is an important depository of numerous historic shipwrecks including the steamship Portland.

The NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Program seeks to increase the public awareness of America’s marine resources and maritime heritage by conducting scientific research, monitoring, exploration and educational programs.  Today, the sanctuary program manages 13 national marine sanctuaries and one coral reef ecosystem reserve that together encompass more than 150,000 square miles of America’s ocean and Great Lakes natural and cultural resources

The National Marine Sanctuary program is part of the National Ocean Service which is an office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department. NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners and nearly 60 countries to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes.

On the Internet:
NOAA - http://www.noaa.gov
National Ocean Service - https://oceanservice.noaa.gov
National Marine Sanctuary Program - http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary - http://stellwagen.noaa.gov