[SEMCO] Stellwagen Alive!

[Sheri DeRosa]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jennifer Bender Ferré, Executive Director (617) 522-1838 or 
jennifer at stellwagenalive.org

GROUP ESTABLISHES NEW FOUNDATION STELLWAGEN ALIVE - Friends of Our 
National Marine Sanctuary

Boston, MA - August 3, 2007 Stellwagen Alive, Friends of Our National 
Marine Sanctuary, is pleased to announce
its establishment as a 501 c (3) nonprofit organization with the mission 
to support the protection, research and
education goals of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. "The 
nonprofit organization and the federal
sanctuary program will work to engage the public and to build 
constituency to ensure this unique area is protected
for current and future generations," said Dr. Jennifer Bender Ferré, 
Executive Director.

The sanctuary encompasses an offshore area almost the size of the State 
of Rhode Island, over 842 square miles
between Cape Cod and Cape Ann, Massachusetts. The sanctuary is centered 
on a prominent underwater
plateau--Stellwagen Bank--that creates distinct and dynamic habitats 
characterized by astonishing marine
diversity. Species found at this site include many marine mammals, such 
as endangered North Atlantic Right
Whales and humpback whales, endangered sea turtles, and fish populations 
including cod, herring and tuna.
The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is also the site of 
numerous nationally significant historic
shipwrecks, such as the Portland and the Paul Palmer, chronicling the 
role of this area in the history and
economic life of the region.

Stellwagen Alive is a Massachusetts nonprofit public benefit corporation 
whose goals are: (1) to increase public
awareness of the sanctuary so that the New England region recognizes its 
value and importance; (2) to educate the
public about the special significance of the sanctuary and its 
associated ecological and historic treasures; (3) to
attract volunteers who are passionately committed to the protection and 
promotion of the sanctuary; and (4) to
enhance sanctuary programming and operations.

"The creation of Stellwagen Alive provides an exciting partnership 
opportunity for the sanctuary and a dynamic
organization to help bring the wonders of this special place to the 
public," said Dr. Craig MacDonald, Sanctuary
Superintendent. "We look forward to working closely with our friends 
group to expand sanctuary programs in
resource protection, research and education."

Stellwagen Alive accepts tax-deductible donations and gifts from 
individuals, private foundations and
corporations.

For more information on the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary 
contact:
Anne Smrcina or Nathalie Ward (781) 545-8026 x201.

On the Internet:
National Marine Sanctuary Program - http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary - http://stellwagen.noaa.gov
Stellwagen Alive - http://www.stellwagenalive.org
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