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Chapter 7 - Demersal FishThorny skate occurred primarily in the Gulf of Maineand Georges Bank, with highest numbers found in thesouthern and central portions of the Gulf of Maine,east of Grand Manan Island, along Browns Bank andthe Northeast Channel, in and around the Great SouthChannel, and along the northern edge and southern flankof Georges Bank (Figure 7-33a, b). Statistical analysesidentified a declining trend in the time series across muchof the range, including central and eastern portions ofthe Gulf of Maine and along much of the perimeter ofGeorges Bank (Figure 7-33c, d). Weighted persistenceanalyses for thorny skate identified waters north of theGreat South Channel and Northeast Peak of GeorgesBank, nearshore waters from Massachusetts Bay to CascoBay, and Grand Manan Banks as important, with no distinctseasonal differences observed (Figure 7-34).ABFigure 7-34. Areas with high persistence and abundance over 40 years for thorny skate during the spring and fallseasons.Northwest Atlantic Marine Ecoregional Assessment • Phase 1 Report 7-39