Facilities

Aerial photo shows a modern view of the red-roofed buildings of the sanctuary campus
Aerial photo shows a modern view of the red-roofed buildings of the sanctuary campus. Photo: Michael Thompson/NOAA

Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary's headquarters offices are located in Scituate, Massachusetts. The campus consists of the main building at 175 Edward Foster Road, a meeting annex on Sunset Road behind the main building, and a boathouse (Marine Operations Center) with adjoining dock at the end of Sunset Road. The neighborhood in which the facilities are situated is referred to as "First Cliff." All buildings are wheelchair accessible, including public spaces and meeting rooms.

The three-story main building holds staff offices, a small conference room, and satellite offices for the Massachusetts Environmental Police (MEP), the Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Office (South Shore) and the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement (OLE), where an enforcement officer dedicated to the sanctuary is based. The meeting annex fits 30 individuals at tables, or 75 to 80 in a theater-style seating arrangement. The boathouse acts as a staging area for scientific and enforcement patrols. The sanctuary's research vessel and MEP patrol boats are berthed at the dock. An OLE enforcement vessel anchors nearby and uses the boathouse for loading/unloading. Guest research vessels can use the dock with prior approval.

The Scituate buildings, which formerly served as a U.S. Coast Guard Station, were renovated in 2004.