Banc-des-Américains Marine Protected Area

Located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Québec, Canada, the Banc-des-Américains Marine Protected Area protects the entirety of the Banc-des-Américains submarine ridge and its surrounding plains. The underwater cliffs of the ridge support a diversity of marine life, including an array of sponges, anemones, sea stars, and fish species. The MPA is an important feeding ground for several species of seabird that nest in the coastal cliffs nearby. The Banc-des-Américains MPA also protects multiple threatened and endangered species, such as fin whales, blue whales, leatherback turtles, and wolffish.

Designated in 2019, the Banc-des-Américains MPA is co-managed by the governments of Canada and Québec, who work together to support management activities, ecological monitoring, and adaptive management planning. The MPA is located on Gespe’gewa’gi, which is the ancestral land of the Mi’gmaq First Nations, and is near the Mi’gmaq communities of Gespeg, Gesgapegiag, and Listuguj. First Nations communities were involved in the creation of the MPA, and they continue to participate in the ongoing management of the area. Other community members and many partner organizations also support the effective conservation of this remarkable area.