RESILIENT WATERS: The health of New England's ocean is intertwined with that of its fisheries and coastal economies--that's why we need to protect more of it.

• Date: 22 June 2020
• Published date: 22 June 2020

IN EARLY JUNE, DURING A ROUND-TABLE WITH MAINE FISHERMEN, PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNED A PROCLAMATION OPENING THE NORTHEAST CANYONS AND SEAMOUNTS MARINE NATIONAL MONUMENT to commercial fishing. Designated by President Obama in 2016, the monument may sound large at 4,900 square miles, but that amounts to barely 1.5% of the U.S. Atlantic Ocean. And now, even that tiny amount--and the marine life that depends on it as a refuge--is at risk.

Protected areas are vital in the era of climate change. The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99% of the world's oceans, and our region is already feeling the effects. Scientists and fishermen are witnessing dramatic northward shifts of iconic species, including lobsters and endangered...