New England Aquarium reacts to Trump Administration’s rollback of protections for Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument

BOSTON, MASS. (Feb. 6, 2026) – Scientific research has shown that the Trump Administration’s rollback of protections in the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument compromises a wealth of marine species. To ensure a healthy ocean and ocean-based economy, it is critically important to protect places like the Monument.

*PHOTOS AVAILABLE HERE WITH CREDIT TO NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM*

The Monument was presidentially designated in 2016 because of the area’s ecological and biological value. A nearly 5,000 square mile underwater sanctuary that lies 130 miles southeast of Cape Cod, the Monument is home to deep-sea corals, various fish species, endangered whales, sea turtles, and other marine mammals. The New England Aquarium contributed strong scientific evidence that supported the original designation of this area by President Barack Obama. The Aquarium’s science was instrumental, again, in 2021 when President Joe Biden restored protections after President Trump lifted the prohibition on commercial fishing in 2020. Regular aerial surveys by the Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life showcase the diverse range of marine mammals that use this habitat.

“Scientific research by the New England Aquarium and others shows high biodiversity in Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, and continued protections and monitoring are warranted to benefit the ecosystem and ocean industries in the region,” said Vikki N. Spruill, President and CEO of the New England Aquarium.

The Monument covers the edge of the continental shelf, dropping from 200 meters to thousands of meters deep. The steep slopes of the canyons and underwater topography create upwelling, a process that leads to an ecologically productive area. During survey flights, Aquarium scientists have observed the world’s largest animal on earth—the blue whale—and other endangered whale species, including fin and sperm whales. Scientists have also seen the enigmatic, deep-diving True’s beaked whales at the base of the Monument’s Gilbert Canyon. Spending relatively little time at the surface, these whales can hold their breath for up to two hours.

“This Monument supports amazing species from the seafloor to the sea surface, and we see evidence of that during every aerial survey. Removing protections for Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument puts these species at risk,” said Dr. Jessica Redfern, Associate Vice President of Ocean Conservation Science in the Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life.

Per authority granted by the Antiquities Act of 1906, U.S. Presidents designate national monuments on lands and submerged lands that have historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest. The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument is the only marine national monument in the Atlantic Ocean, and it is vital for marine conservation on the East Coast.

MEDIA CONTACT: Pam Bechtold Snyder— psnyder@neaq.org