Letter from the president.

• Author: Kassel, John
• Position: Conservation Law Foundation of New England - Brief article

Dear CLF Friends, New England is intimately connected to its ocean for its cultural history, its economy, and for the draw it exerts on visitors during the long, lazy summer months. For something so important, it is a resource whose treasures are rarely in view. A few new projects will change that.

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A few months ago we launched a 5 year campaign called New England Ocean Odyssey with renowned photojournalist Brian Skerry to document and raise awareness about New England's oceans. Many of the photos that line these pages are from Brian's early dives for CLF, and all are from New England. What they show is an underwater ecosystem that is more beautiful than many of us ever knew.

There can be no doubt that New England's ocean is a national treasure. It is my belief that places like George's Bank, Stelwagen Bank, and Cashes Ledge, all found right here in The Gulf of Maine, should stand alongside places like Acadia, Zion and Yellowstone. Like the grey seal on the cover, they are arresting, calming, rare...