What is a marine national monument?
Similar to national marine sanctuaries, marine national monuments are designated to protect areas of the marine environment.
Coral and Ulua found in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Coral reefs found in Papahānaumokuākea are home to over 7,000 marine species, one quarter of which are found only in the Hawaiian Archipelago.
Marine monuments and national marine sanctuaries are both types of marine protected areas. The main difference between national marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments is the designation process and the laws under which they are established. Sanctuaries are designated by NOAA or Congress and are managed by NOAA using the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA). The NMSA requires extensive public process, local community engagement, stakeholder involvement, and citizen participation, both prior to and following designation.
The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries serves as the trustee for a network of underwater parks in marine and Great Lakes waters from Washington state to the Florida Keys, and from Lake Huron to American Samoa. This network includes a growing number of national marine sanctuaries and Papahānaumokuākea and Rose Atoll marine national monuments.