National Marine Sanctuary
Agency overview | |
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Formed | October 23, 1972 |
Jurisdiction | United States federal government |
Headquarters | 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 |
Employees | 350 |
Annual budget | $50 million (2016)[1] |
Agency executive |
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Parent agency | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
Website | www.sanctuaries.noaa.gov |
A U.S. National Marine Sanctuary is a zone within United States waters where the marine environment enjoys special protection.[2] The program was established in 1972 by the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act and is currently administered by the National Ocean Service through the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA).[3]
A U.S. National Marine Sanctuary is a federally designated area within
The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), a division of the
The NMSP also is involved in the administration of the
Scope of protection
Designation as a National Marine Sanctuary does not automatically prohibit fishing and other activities. Recreational and commercial fishing is allowed in some sanctuaries. It is possible to restrict consumptive or destructive activities through the initial designation process and NMSP actions.[
Designating Sanctuary Sites
Site selection is done under the auspices of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Regional teams of marine scientists identify geographically representative sites for potential marine sanctuaries. NOAA then selects candidate sites and meets with state or territorial resource managers and/or the state or territorial governor's staff to determine the local level of interest in establishing a sanctuary. If there is mutually satisfactory interest, the candidate sites are evaluated through a process of public and legislative review and validated by the United States Congress and state or territorial governments. NOAA initiates the designation by the preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and a proposed management plan, then publishes a notice of its plans in the Federal Register. NOAA sponors regional meetings and public hearings to gather comments. The U.S. Congress receives the draft statements and may conduct its own hearings. NOAA prepares a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) that addresses the concerns raised in the DEIS process and distributes it for comment. Finally, upon approval of the President of the United States, the United States Secretary of Commerce, who oversees NOAA, designates the area as a National Marine Sanctuary. The U.S. Congress and the governor of the state or territory then may formally object to or appeal the designation.[8]
President Biden's America the Beautiful Initiative supports local-led conservation efforts throughout the United States which has a goal to restore 30% of US lands and waters before the year 2030. The NOAA proposes the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary which would add a sanctuary designation covering 134 miles of California coastline, and around 5,600 square miles of water off the coast of Central California.[9]
List of U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries
- Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (Pacific)
- Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary (Pacific)
- National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa(formerly Fagatele Bay) (Pacific)
- Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico)
- Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (Gulf of Mexico)
- Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary (Atlantic)
- Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (formerly Gulf of the Farallones) (Pacific)
- Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (Pacific)
- Mallows Bay National Marine Sanctuary(Atlantic)
- Monitor National Marine Sanctuary (Atlantic)
- Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (Pacific)
- Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (Pacific)
- Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (Atlantic)
- Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (Great Lakes)
- Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary (Great Lakes)[10]
In Designation
- Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary (Great Lakes)[11]
- Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary (Pacific)[9]
- Lake Erie National Marine Sanctuary
- Hudson Canyon National Marine Sanctuary
- Pacific Remote Islands National Marine Sanctuary
- Papahanamokuakea National Marine Sanctuary
Notes
- ^ NOAA Budget Summary (PDF). United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
- S2CID 216114235.)
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link - ^ "National Marine Sanctuaries Act and Legislation | Office of National Marine Sanctuaries". sanctuaries.noaa.gov. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
- ^ National Marine Sanctuary Frequently Asked Questions
- ^ Casserley, TR. "Torrid Seas to Icebound Lakes: Shipwreck Investigations within NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries". In: Pollock NW, ed. Diving for Science 2009. Proceedings of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences 28th Symposium. Dauphin Island, AL: AAUS; 2009. Archived from the original on April 15, 2013. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "About: FAQ: Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary". Retrieved September 30, 2014.
- ^ National Marine Sanctuaries » Marine Conservation Institute
- ISSN 0964-5691.
- ^ a b "Proposed Designation of Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary | Office of National Marine Sanctuaries". sanctuaries.noaa.gov. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
- ^ Briscoe, Tony. "Advisory Council Meeting for proposed Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary to meet virtually June 10". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
- ^ "Underwater sanctuary plan aims to preserve Lake Michigan shipwrecks off Wisconsin". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 29, 2021.