Charles Mayo describes the interrelationship of human endeavors and the life patterns of whales within the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. The advent of whale watching, human threats to marine mammals, the formation of the sanctuary, and greater understanding through research in the whales' use of Stellwagen Bank, are an interlocking kaleidoscope of events and factors that affect the area.
Dr. Charles "Stormy" Mayo is a Senior Scientist at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, MA. Dr. Mayo directs the habitat studies program at the Center, heading up an effort to understand the interaction between endangered large whales and the ecosystems that support them. In recent years he has directed an investigation of the interaction between food resources and northern right whales with a particular emphasis on the impact of anthropogenic change on plankton patches. His technical work has ranged from complex computer modeling of foraging movements to the development of new techniques for documenting whale behavior and zooplankton distribution. Additionally, Dr. Mayo is also known for his efforts to reduce whale mortality caused by entanglement in fishing gear through the development of new management techniques and the development of methods to rescue entangled whales at sea.