Governor Deval Patrick signed the Oceans Act on May 28, 2008 - requiring the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) 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.
In addition, all of the spatial data provided in the Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan are hosted in the Massachusetts Ocean Resource Information System, or MORIS. MORIS is an online mapping tool that can be used to search and display spatial data pertaining to the Massachusetts coastal zone and is the official data repository for the Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan. Launch MORIS to view, query, and map the data.
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.