Through education, conservation, science, and stewardship, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary provides protection to its extraordinary natural and cultural resources so that nature can thrive, historic shipwrecks and artifacts remain respectfully in place, cultural connections remain strong, and careful public use and enjoyment can be sustained. Designated in 1980 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the sanctuary spans 1,470 square miles surrounding five of the Channel Islands: San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa and Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara, California

Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary was established in 1989 to protect and preserve the extraordinary marine ecosystem surrounding the Cordell Bank. Surrounded by soft sediments of the continental shelf seafloor, Cordell Bank emerges with a rocky habitat, providing home to colorful and abundant invertebrates, algae, and fishes. Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary is an extremely productive marine area off the west coast of United States in northern California, just north of the Gulf of the Farallones. With its southern-most boundary located 42 miles north of San Francisco, the sanctuary is entirely offshore, with the eastern boundary six miles from shore and the western boundary 30 miles offshore. In total, the sanctuary protects an area of 1286 square miles. Point Reyes Station, California

Designated on November 16, 1990, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is one of 14 marine protected areas that make up the National Marine Sanctuary System. Administered by NOAA, a federal agency, and jointly managed with the State of Florida, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary protects 2,900 square nautical miles of waters surrounding the Florida Keys, from south of Miami westward to encompass the Dry Tortugas, excluding Dry Tortugas National Park. Within the boundaries of the sanctuary lie spectacular, unique, and nationally significant marine resources, from the world’s third largest barrier reef, extensive seagrass beds, mangrove-fringed islands, and more than 6,000 species of marine life. The sanctuary also protects pieces of our nation’s history such as shipwrecks and other archeological treasures. Key West, Florida

Picture yourself over 100 miles from land, in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. At times, the seas can be very unforgiving, and the weather can turn foul in an instant. But here, in the midst of this unpredictable Gulf, lie three of the most beautiful and wild places in all the world. Manta rays, whale sharks, coral heads bigger than cars, hundreds of species of fish and invertebrates... This place teems with life! Galveston, Texas

Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary is one of the largest near-shore live-bottom reefs of the southeastern United States. It's just one of the 14 national marine protected areas that make up the National Marine Sanctuary System and is governed by the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. It is managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Located 17.5 nautical miles off Sapelo Island Georgia. Savannah, Georgia

We protect the wildlife and habitats of one of the most diverse and bountiful marine environments in the world, an area of 1,282 square miles off the northern and central California coast. Located just a few miles from San Francisco, the waters within Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary are part of a nationally significant marine ecosystem. Encompassing a diversity of highly productive marine habitats, the sanctuary supports an abundance of life, including many threatened or endangered species. Discover more about the sanctuary by diving into this website. San Francisco, California

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary was created by Congress in 1992 to protect humpback whales and their habitat in Hawaiʻi. It is administered by the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS). The sanctuary is located from the shoreline to the 100-fathom isobath (600 ft. depth) in the four island area of Maui; Penguin Bank; and off the north shore of Kaua'i, the north and south shores of O'ahu, and the north Kona and Kohala coast of Hawai'i Island. Discover marine life and extraordinary habitats that make up your nation's marine sanctuaries and our continuing efforts to conserve these ocean and coastal treasures.

Situated just 16 miles off the coast of Cape Hatteras, N.C., Monitor National Marine Sanctuary protects the shipwreck of the famed Civil War ironclad, USS Monitor. The Monitor, while under tow to Beaufort, N.C., sank during a storm on December 31, 1862, and was not discovered until 1973. Today the sanctuary is managed by a staff of five full-time employees through a combination of education, archaeology, marine science and regulatory programs. The Monitor National Marine Sanctuary office is co-located with The Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia.

Welcome to Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary! One of our nation's most spectacular marine protected areas, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary offers some of the best wildlife viewing in the world! This "Serengeti of the Sea" stretches along the central coast from San Francisco to Cambria and includes pristine beaches, jewel-like tide pools, lush kelp forests, steep canyons and an offshore seamount teeming with life—from tiny shrimp to giant blue whales. The National Marine Sanctuary System promotes environmental protection, stewardship and ocean research. We invite you to explore and help protect this national undersea treasure. Monterey, California

Protecting America's Ocean and Great Lakes. National marine sanctuaries conserve unique habitats that are home to millions of species, from magnificent humpback whales to colorful clownfish. Sanctuaries support our health and the economy. They are living laboratories that improve our understanding of our ocean and Great Lakes, and they protect the resting places of shipwrecks that tell the story of our shared maritime heritage. The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is the only national non-profit whose mission is to directly support our marine and Great Lakes sanctuaries for generations to enjoy. Silver Spring, Maryland

The Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary is now the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. The National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa is located in the cradle of Polynesia’s oldest culture and is thought to support the greatest diversity of marine life in the National Marine Sanctuary System, including a wide variety of coral and other invertebrates, fishes, turtles, marine mammals and marine plants. The sanctuary protects extensive coral reefs, including some of the oldest and largest Porites coral heads in the world, along with deep water reefs, hydrothermal vent communities, and rare marine archaeological resources, and also encompasses important fishing grounds, the southernmost point in the United States, and waters surrounding one of the world’s smallest atolls. The sanctuary is also the only true tropical reef within the National Marine Sanctuary System, and is the most remote location within that system. NOAA co-manages the sanctuary with the American Samoa Government and works closely with communities adjacent to the sanctuary, all within the context of Samoan cultural traditions and practices. Pago Pago, American Samoa

The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries serves as the trustee for a network of 14 marine protected areas encompassing more than 170,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters from Washington state to the Florida Keys, and from Lake Huron to American Samoa. The network includes a system of 13 national marine sanctuaries and the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. Our national marine sanctuaries are places of inspiration. Within their waters and along their shores, you can find vibrant tapestries of marine life, ancient mysteries of our past, and thriving communities of men and women who have relied on the sea for generations. Sanctuaries are places where anyone can go to experience the power and beauty of the ocean and form lasting memories in spectacular natural settings, from the vibrant coral reefs of American Samoa to the towering kelp forests of Monterey Bay. These underwater treasures are sources of national pride, and when we take care of them, we are protecting part of what makes America great.

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary includes 3,188 square miles of marine waters off the rugged Olympic Peninsula coastline. The sanctuary extends 25 to 50 miles seaward, covering much of the continental shelf and several major submarine canyons. The sanctuary protects a productive upwelling zone - home to marine mammals and seabirds. Along its shores are thriving kelp and intertidal communities, teeming with fishes and other sea life. In the darkness of the seafloor, scattered communities of deep sea coral and sponges form habitats for fish and other important marine wildlife. In addition to important ecological resources, the sanctuary has a rich cultural and historical legacy. Port Angeles, Washington

The Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument is the single largest conservation area under the U.S. flag, and one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world. It encompasses 139,797 square miles of the Pacific Ocean (362,073 square kilometers) - an area larger than all the country's national parks combined. The Monument was expressly created to protect an exceptional array of natural and cultural resources. The extensive coral reefs found in Papahanaumokuakea - truly the rainforests of the sea - are home to over 7,000 marine species, one quarter of which are found only in the Hawaiian Archipelago. Honolulu, Hawaii

Explore California Sanctuaries - Channel Islands, Cordell Bank, Greater Farallones, and Monterey Bay. SIMoN is an integrated, long-term program that seeks to identify and understand changes within sanctuaries managed by the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. SIMoN provides resource managers with the information needed for effective decision-making and promotes a basic understanding of the complex and unique marine processes within the California Current ecosystem. By gathering summary metadata from on-going, recently completed and historic monitoring and research projects within sanctuaries, SIMoN facilitates the critical but often overlooked communication between researchers, resource managers, educators and the public.

Off the coast of Massachusetts, it provides essential habitat for many species of marine mammals, including the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale; & it is the focus of a large tourism industry centered on whale watching. Stellwagen Bank is an underwater plateau at the mouth of Massachusetts Bay, formed by the same processes that formed outer Cape Cod. As the ice sheets of the last Great Ice Age retreated, they left behind sand, gravel and rock. At one point in time (perhaps 12,000 years ago), Stellwagen Bank was actually above sea level, but as sea level rose and the glaciers continued to melt, the bank gradually submerged beneath the sea. Scituate, Massachusetts

Protecting the Great Lakes and their rich maritime history through research, education and resource protection. The sanctuary works to ensure that future generations can enjoy these underwater treasures. The 4,300 square-mile Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary protects the Great Lakes and their rich history. Lake Huron's cold, fresh water preserves nearly 200 historic shipwrecks in and around the sanctuary. Through research, education, and community involvement, the sanctuary and its partners ensure that future generations can enjoy Thunder Bay's irreplaceable underwater treasures. Alpena, Michigan