Governor Deval Patrick signed the Oceans Act on May 28, 2008 - requiring the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Ian Bowles to develop a comprehensive ocean management plan, with a draft plan by June 30, 2009, and a final plan promulgated by December 31, 2009. Links to Volumes 1 and 2 of the final Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan, complete with all figures, maps, and errata, are provided below.
Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan
Volume 1 - Management and Administration
Full Version
- Errata Sheet
- Complete document with color figures/maps (PDF, 58 MB)
- Text only - Chapters 1, 2, and 3; Appendices 1, 2, and 4 (PDF, 1.8 MB)
- Appendix 3 with color figures/maps (PDF, 17.5 MB)
- Color figures/maps
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 48 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 26 MB)
Individual Chapters
- Errata Sheet
- Cover and Front Material (PDF, 1.3 MB)
- Chapter 1 - Introduction (PDF, 81 KB)
- Chapter 2 - Management (PDF, 164 KB)
- Chapter 3 - Plan Administration (PDF, 114 KB)
- Appendix 1 - The Oceans Act of 2008 (PDF, 84 KB)
- Appendix 2 - Data Used in Plan Development (PDF, 97 KB)
- Appendix 3 - Wind Energy Screening (PDF, 17.5 MB)
- Appendix 4 - Description of Special, Sensitive, or Unique Species and Habitats (PDF, 63 KB)
Individual Figures/Maps
- Errata Sheet
- Figure 2-1 - Management areas (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 2.1 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.2 MB)
- Figure 2-2 - Special, sensitive, or unique resource: North Atlantic right whale core habitat (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 1.8 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- Figure 2-3 - Special, sensitive, or unique resource: humpback whale core habitat (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 1.8 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.2 MB)
- Figure 2-4 - Special, sensitive, or unique resource: fin whale core habitat (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 2.1 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.2 MB)
- Figure 2-5 - Special, sensitive, or unique resource: Roseate Tern core habitat (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 1.8 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- Figure 2-6 - Special, sensitive, or unique resource: special concern (Arctic, Least, and Common) Tern core habitat (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 2.0 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.2 MB)
- Figure 2-7 - Special, sensitive, or unique resource: Long-tailed Duck core habitat (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 1.8 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- Figure 2-8 - Special, sensitive, or unique resource: Leach's Storm-Petrel important nesting habitat (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 1.8 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- Figure 2-9 - Special, sensitive, or unique resource: colonial waterbirds important nesting habitat (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 1.7 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- Figure 2-10 - Special, sensitive, or unique resource: hard/complex seafloor (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 2.0 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.2 MB)
- Figure 2-11 - Special, sensitive, or unique resource: eelgrass (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 1.8 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- Figure 2-12 - Special, sensitive, or unique resource: intertidal flats (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 1.8 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- Figure 2-13 - Special, sensitive, or unique resource: important fish resource areas (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 1.8 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- Figure 2-14 - Areas of existing water-dependent uses: high commercial fishing by effort and value (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 1.9 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- Figure 2-15 - Areas of existing water-dependent uses: concentrated recreational fishing (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 2.1 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.2 MB)
- Figure 2-16 - Areas of existing water-dependent uses: concentrated commerce and commercial fishing traffic (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 2.0 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.2 MB)
- Figure 2-17 - Areas of existing water-dependent uses: concentrated recreational boating activity (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 2.7 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.3 MB)
- Figure 2-18 - Renewable energy areas, including adjacent federal waters (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 1.8 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- Figure 2-19 - Regional planning agencies and municipalities adjacent to the Massachusetts ocean management planning area (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 2.6 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.4 MB)
- Figure 2-20 - Community-scale wind energy special, sensitive, or unique resources and existing water-dependent uses (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 4.4 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.7 MB)
- Figure 2-21 - Commercial-scale tidal energy special, sensitive, or unique resources and existing water-dependent uses (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 3.7 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.6 MB)
- Figure 2-22 - Sand and gravel extraction special, sensitive, or unique resources and existing water-dependent uses (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 3.4 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.5 MB)
- Figure 2-23 - Cable special, sensitive, or unique resources and existing water-dependent uses (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 2.8 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.4 MB)
- Figure 2-24 - Pipeline special, sensitive, or unique resources and existing water-dependent uses (HTML Preview)
- Full Size 11"x17" (PDF, 3.4 MB)
- Printer-Friendly 8.5"x11" (PDF, 1.5 MB)
Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan
Volume 2 - Baseline Assessment and Science Framework
Full Version
- Errata Sheet
- Complete document with color figures/maps (PDF, 90 MB)
- Text only (PDF, 2.6 MB)
- Color Figures/maps (from Baseline Assessment)
- High-Resolution (PDF, 95 MB)
- Low-Resolution (PDF, 16.2 MB)
Individual Sections
- Errata Sheet
- Cover and Introduction (PDF, 1.3 MB)
- Baseline Assessment of the Massachusetts Ocean Planning Area (PDF, 691 KB) - This Oceans Act-mandated product includes information cataloging the current state of knowledge regarding human uses, natural resources, and other ecosystem factors in Massachusetts ocean waters.
- Baseline Assessment Color Figures - High-Resolution (PDF, 95 MB)
- Baseline Assessment Color Figures - Low-Resolution (PDF, 16.2 MB)
- Science Framework (PDF, 399 KB) - This document provides a blueprint for ocean management-related science and research needs in Massachusetts, including priorities for the next five years.