Gully Marine Protected Area
| Gully Marine Protected Area | |
|---|---|
Interactive map of Gully Marine Protected Area | |
| Location | North Atlantic Ocean |
| Coordinates | 43°50′43″N 58°56′17″W / 43.84528°N 58.93806°W |
| Length | 1,000 km (620 mi) |
| Area | 2,363 square kilometres (584,000 acres) |
| Established | May 2004 |
Gully Marine Protected Area is a protected marine conservation area in Nova Scotia, Canada.[1][2] It is 200 kilometres (120 mi) from mainland Nova Scotia,[3] and 45 kilometres (28 mi) east of Sable Island.[4] It was established in May 2004.[5]
Geography
Gully Marine Protected Area protects approximately 2,363 square kilometres (584,000 acres) of area, contributing approximately 0.04% toward Canada’s marine conservation target.[3] The area includes the Gully, which can reach down to 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) in its deepest parts.[6]
The population of the northern bottlenose whale has shown signs of recovery following the establishment of the Gully Marine Protected Area.[7]
Biodiversity
Gully Marine Protected Area provides habitat for the endangered northern bottlenose whale[6][8] and supports a diverse range of marine species, such as cold-water corals, sharks, tunas, and swordfish.[5][9] 19 coral taxa have been documented in the canyon area,[9] such as the bubblegum coral.[6] It is also inhabited by at least 16 species of whales and dolphins, including the blue whale.[10]
Prohibitions
The regulations prohibit any activities that disturb, damage, destroy or remove living marine organisms or any part of their habitat, unless the activity is listed on the regulations or is approved by the minister.[5]
See also
References
- ^ Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. "Place names - Gully Marine Protected Area". geonames.nrcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
- ^ "The Gully Marine Protected Area: 10 years of progress". publications.gc.ca. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
- ^ a b "The Gully Marine Protected Area". NOAA Ocean Exploration. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
- ^ "Gully". Canadian Geographic. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
- ^ a b c Government of Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (2019-09-18). "The Gully Marine Protected Area". www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
- ^ a b c Corp, Pelmorex (2024-05-23). "The Gully: See why Canada's underwater canyon needs to be protected". The Weather Network. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
- ^ Kobilinsky, Dana (2025-12-10). "Marine protected area is paying off for Canadian whales - The Wildlife Society". The Wildlife Society. Archived from the original on 2026-01-30. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
- ^ Perrin, William F.; Würsig, Bernd; Thewissen, J. G. M. (2009-02-26). Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-08-091993-5.
- ^ a b "Designing management measures to protect cold-water corals off Nova Scotia, Canada". researchgate.net. November 2007.
- ^ "The Gully: Marine Protected Area". WWF.CA. Retrieved 2026-03-17.