MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • March 7, 2021
Not all of our region’s most majestic areas are on land. In fact, one lesser-known wonder lies 130 miles off our coast: The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, which is the U.S. Atlantic Ocean’s only marine national monument. If we could see this monument above the waves, its landscape would be as dramatic as any on land. It features steep canyons and towering mountains, and its charismatic wildlife would draw visitors from across the world. It was a blow to both precedent and our natural heritage when former President Donald Trump rolled back protections against commercial fishing for this remarkable habitat. We call on President Biden to restore robust permanent protections to the Canyons and Seamounts. ~ Kelly Kryc, New England Aquarium and Kelsey Lamp, Environment Maine.