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Photo Gallery: U.S. Marine Protected Areas

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Herring gulls wait for leftovers after a humpback whale feeds in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Massachusetts. The 842-square-mile (2,180-squre-kilometer) protected area is a productive fishing ground for cod, haddock, and flounder, as well as a popular whale watching post. A sanctuary designation prohibits activities such as sand and gravel mining, transferring petroleum products, and taking or harming marine mammals, birds, and turtles. Photograph by Flip Nicklin/Minden Pictures