National Marine Sanctuaries

National marine sanctuaries are special areas that protect important marine ecosystems around the nation. Some sanctuaries are breeding and feeding grounds for endangered whales, others contain thriving coral reefs or kelp forests, and many are home to historic shipwrecks and other archaeological treasures. NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries manages a national network of such places, encompassing more than 1,553,993 square kilometers (600,000 square miles) of U.S. ocean and Great Lakes waters. The goal of the sanctuary system is to protect important natural and cultural places, while still allowing people to enjoy and use the ocean.

Resources and Education

What is a Marine Protected Area?

A "marine protected area" is a broad term for a park or other protected area that includes some marine or Great Lakes area.

What is a Marine National Monument?

Similar to national marine sanctuaries, marine national monuments are designated to protect areas of the marine environment.

How NOAA Creates a National Marine Sanctuary

Under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, the Secretary of the Department of Commerce, NOAA, and the U.S. Congress are authorized to designate marine areas as national marine sanctuaries.

Resources for Teachers and Students

The NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries aims to provide both teachers and students with resources and tools to support and encourage ocean literacy in America's classrooms.

Marine Life

Sanctuaries protect many species that are threatened or in danger of extinction. Through the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, regulations at each sanctuary specify the types of activities that are compatible with stewardship of marine life and habitats. Sanctuary staff also conduct education programs to teach responsible behavior as a way to prevent harmful impacts.

Science and Exploration

NOAA scientists and resource managers closely monitor water quality, living resources, and habitats within sanctuaries to better understand ecosystem health and detect trends over time. Each sanctuary conducts research and monitoring activities tailored to that site. Research expeditions are frequently launched to gather more data to help protect these fragile areas.

Maritime Heritage

Many sanctuaries harbor historic shipwrecks or artifacts from indigenous cultures. Protecting this heritage is a critical mission of NOAA's sanctuary system, but the mission doesn't end there. Sanctuary staff also work to preserve documents, oral histories and traditional knowledge encompassing our historical connection to the sea.

Get Involved

Visit a Sanctuary

Explore this guide for exploring your national marine sanctuaries, including how to prepare for your visit, exhibits, and things to do.

Nominate a Sanctuary

NOAA invites communities across the nation to nominate their most treasured places in our marine and Great Lakes waters for consideration as national marine sanctuaries.

Guide to Diving in Our National Marine Sanctuaries

Explore the many diving opportunities in national marine sanctuaries and estuarine research reserves throughout the country.

Volunteer

Volunteers help to ensure marine sanctuaries remain America's underwater treasures for future generations. A volunteer opportunity at our sanctuaries can include diving, whale identification, beach cleanups, water quality monitoring, collecting field observations and surveys, acting as visitor center docents, or wildlife monitoring.

Earth is Blue

The National Marine Sanctuary System protects some of the most iconic underwater places throughout the United States, but we can't do it without you. We hope these images inspire you to help care for our ocean and to spread the word that Earth isn't green – it's blue.

Sanctuaries in Focus

View our special series on five select national marine sanctuaries within NOAA's vast system of marine protected areas.

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

East and West Flower Garden Banks, and nearby Stetson Bank, are unique underwater features festooned with colorful sponges, textured sea plants, and myriad marine life living among more than 20 species of hard corals.

Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries

In March 2015, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries announced that Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries (NMS) on the central California coast would double to more than twice their original size.

Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary

Since its creation by Congress 25 years ago, NOAA's Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary has been vital to the protection of humpback whales, being the only place in the United States where these majestic cetaceans reproduce.

Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary

Stellwagen Bank — an underwater plateau located at the mouth of Massachusetts Bay about 40.2 kilometers (25 miles) from Boston — has been known for centuries as a rich and productive ecosystem, where fishermen venture in search of cod, haddock, flounder, tuna, and herring.

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Co-managed by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the State of Michigan, this sanctuary was designated in 2000 to protect and conserve the recreational, historical, and archaeological value of the region’s natural resources and maritime heritage.