Marine SanctuariesNational Marine Sanctuary:

A federally designated area within U.S. waters that protects specific areas of the marine environment

Marine Protected Area:Areas where natural and/or cultural resources

are given greater protection than the surrounding waters

Marine SanctuariesWhy do we make it a sanctuary?

ConservationRecreationEcologyHistoryCultureArcheologyScienceEducationAesthetics

Marine SanctuariesSo what’s the difference between a Marine

Sanctuary and a Marine Protected Area?Marine Sanctuaries are multiple-use marine

protected areas, protected under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act

What?? Multiple-use???Multiple-use mean the use of land for more

than one purpose

Marine SanctuariesMarine Protection, Research, and

Sanctuaries Act (Ocean Dumping Act)1972Secretary of Commerce gets to choose a

National marine Sanctuary after talking to the heads of involved agencies

Governor can declare it unacceptable

Marine SanctuariesWho runs National Marine Sanctuaries?

NMSPNational Marine Sanctuaries ProgramThis program is a division of NOAA (Yay

NOAA!)There are “14” U.S. National Marine

Sanctuaries

MonitorFeb 30, 1975North Carolina Designated by NOAA to protect the ironclad

shipwreck of the USS Monitor First National Marine SanctuaryOnly sanctuary created to protect a cultural

resource rather than a natural oneSize: 1 sq. mile

Key Largo*Jan 1976FloridaDesignated by NOAA to protect the portion of

barrier reef beyond state waters of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary subsumed this sanctuary in 1990

Size: 100 sq. miles

Channel IslandsOct 1980California Designated by NOAA to protect a confluence

of cold and warm water currents with a great abundance of marine life

Expanded in 2007Size: 1,658 sq. miles

Gulf of FarallonesJan 1981CaliforniaDesignated by NOAA to protect an extensive

marine habitat and bird coloniesIn the waters off San Francisco Size: 1,255 sq. miles

Looe Key*Jan 1981FloridaDesignated by NOAA to protect the unusual

and highly important spur and grove reef system

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary subsumed this sanctuary in 1990

Size: 5.32 sq. miles

Gray’s ReefJan 1981GeorgiaDesignated by NOAA to protect a prime

example of South Atlantic hard/live bottom coral habitat

One of the largest near shore live-bottom reefs in the southeastern U.S.

Size: 23 sq. miles

Fagatele Bay April 1986American SamoaDesignated by NOAA to protect an example

of a South Pacific, tropical, fringing reef coral system

Smallest and most remoteOnly true tropical reef in the programSize: 0.25 sq. miles

Cordell BankMay 1989California Designated by NOAA to protect an area

where upwelling nutrient-rich deep water supports a flourishing ecosystem

Seamount, discovered by Edward Cordell in 1853

Size: 526 sq. miles

Florida Keys Nov 1990Florida (duh)Designated by Congress in response to a

series of large vessel groundings Protects the largest coral barrier reef system

in the U.S. (3rd largest in the world)Expanded in 2001Size: 3,674 sq. miles

Flower Garden Banks Jan 1992Texas/LouisianaDesignated by NOAA to protect important

coral reefs in the Gulf of Mexico East Flower Garden Banks and West Flower

Garden BanksExpanded in 1996; Stetson BankSize: 56 sq. miles

Monterey BaySep 1992CaliforniaDesignated by NOAA to protect a variety of

habitats, including kelp forests, shores, and an underwater canyon

Supports one of the world’s most diverse marine ecosystems

Expanded in 2009Size: 5,328 sq. miles

Stellwagen BankNov 1992Massachusetts Designated by congress to protect the

primary feeding grounds of the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale

Size: 842 sq. miles

Hawaiian Islands Humpback WhaleNov 1992Hawaii (duh!)Designated by Congress to protect calving

and breeding grounds of the endangered North Pacific Humpback Whale

One of the world’s most important whale habitat

Size: 1,300 sq. miles

Olympic Coast May 1994Washington Designated by NOAA as a representative

marine and near-shore habitat of the Pacific Northwest

Size: 3,310

Thunder BayJun 2000MichiganDesignated by NOAA to protect the collection

of nationally significant historic shipwrecks (Shipwreck Alley, Lake Huron)

Only sanctuary in the Great Lakes About 116 shipsSize: 448 sq. miles

Papahanaumokuakea June 15, 2006Hawaii Marine National MonumentLargest MPA in the worldNamed after the goddess who ‘gave birth’ to

the islands in Hawaiian mythologySize: 140,000 sq. miles

Facts, facts, facts!First?

Monitor, 1975Most recent?

Thunder Bay, 2000Closest to Texas?

Flower Garden BanksIn the Great Lakes?

Thunder Bay