Setting+the+Stage

The Gulf of Maine is found on the east coast of North America. It is bordered by Canada and the U.S. The Gulf of Maine consists of states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. Canada’s provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia share its coast. The Gulf of Maine is known for its plentiful fisheries. Every year people come to its beaches to swim, play and sunbathe. Others enjoy coastal hiking, sailing, or sea kayaking. Nature lovers come to see the whales, seabirds and other wildlife. Aquaculture has also sprung up around the Gulf of Maine.

Scientists who study the ocean and fishermen worry that the Gulf of Maine is changing in a bad way. It is not as productive, clean and healthy as it used to be. Most of the problems happen where we don’t go. Out at sea, they aren’t as obvious as the damage being done to the land’s environment. There are still some warning signs under the ocean. Beaches are sometimes closed due to pollution. Also on some open beaches, trash, debris and oily substances wash up on the shore which makes it unpleasant and even unsafe to be at the beaches. Some fishermen cannot collect clams or mussels because they aren’t good to eat. Many species of fish have lost their large quantity making fishermen’s lives hard. Years ago, tens of thousands of Atlantic salmon were once found in the rivers flowing to the Gulf of Maine. Now, there are few wild salmon left. Also many birds such as puffins and sandpipers have population decreases. Large coastal habitat areas like salt marshes, mudflats, and kelp and eelgrass beds have either been destroyed or damaged. These are some of the obvious signs of the things harming the Gulf of Maine. Scientists have carefully looked at and measured the many other problems happening to the Gulf of Maine. But before the town of Basgo thinks about what to do about the problem, we need to learn more about the Gulf of Maine and how we affect it.

The Gulf of Maine has a rugged sea floor. It seems as if it is cut off from the Atlantic Ocean. There is a wide opening between Nova Scotia and Cape Cod, it is almost completely blocked by underwater mountains or "banks" that come up from the sea floor. These barriers almost stop the exchange of saltwater between the Atlantic and the Gulf of Maine.

The water cycle has a large impact on The Gulf on Maine. There is no start to the water cycle. Water evaporates and becomes water vapor. This water vapor combines and becomes a cloud. The wind blows the cloud around and collects water vapor until it gets heavy and there is precipitation. Precipitation comes in many different forms like, snow, rain and sleet. While falling, the water collects pollutants that are in the air. When the precipitation is rain, when the water lands some will run off and will end up in rivers or in streams. These lead to rivers that go into the Gulf. The Gulf of Maine is a watershed, where water is collected. When the water precipitates as snow it will do the same when it melts. The cycle has three main steps, evaporate, precipitate and run off. The system repeats forever being the biggest water treatment and recycling process in the world. When the run off is in process (after rain) silt, sand and sometimes even dead plants and animals run with it to create mudflats and beaches. The runoff slowly erodes the land. The mudflats and beaches act as homes for animals and plants. The population of people living around the Gulf of Maine is increasing.