About

NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries serves as the trustee for a network of underwater parks encompassing more than 620,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters. The network includes a system of 16 national marine sanctuaries and Papahānaumokuākea and Rose Atoll marine national monuments. Few places on the planet can compete with the diversity of the National Marine Sanctuary System, which protects America's most iconic natural and cultural marine resources. The system works with diverse partners and stakeholders to promote responsible, sustainable ocean uses that ensure the health of our most valued ocean places. A healthy ocean is the basis for thriving recreation, tourism, and commercial activities that drive coastal economies. The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries also leads the National Marine Protected Areas Center, the nation's hub for building innovative partnerships and tools to protect our special ocean.

Staff at your national marine sanctuaries are hard at work every day collaborating with partners on conservation initiatives, research and monitoring projects, education and outreach, community engagement, responsible recreation and tourism, cooperative resource management, and socioeconomic considerations.

Explore the pages below to learn more about what we do and how we do it.

a map of the national marine sanctuary system

Regions

The U.S. National Marine Sanctuary System covers over 620,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters from American Samoa to Massachusetts, to the Florida Keys. Learn about the different regional offices and the sanctuaries each one manages.

a sea arch

2022-2027 Strategic Plan

Learn about our vision for the future of America’s treasured ocean places and how we plan to get there.

a scuba diver underwater with a clipboard

Conservation

Under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, we preserve the extraordinary scenic beauty, biodiversity, cultural and historical connections, and economic productivity of our most precious underwater treasures.

researchers on an inflatable vessel while one person stands on the bow holding a 30 foot pole out towards the back of a humpback whale that is poking above the water's surface

Research and Monitoring

New research helps us to better understand the marine ecosystems we are protecting, while monitoring programs allow us to examine trends, notice when changes start to happen, and determine if the management actions we take are working.

four youth stand close together and observe a sample jar and compare it to a color chart

Education and Outreach

National marine sanctuaries educate and engage the public in protecting the ocean and Great Lakes, and addressing climate change. Our education and outreach programs connect communities and raise awareness about the relationship people have with the ocean.

Young people kneel on a rocky shoreline while looking at a quadrat and recording data onto a datasheet

Community Engagement

A successful sanctuary requires the support and involvement of the communities that rely on those waters. We involve communities in their sanctuaries through advisory councils, public meetings, volunteer opportunities, and education and outreach events.

people sit in an auditorium at several tables arranged into a large square

Sanctuary Advisory Councils

National marine sanctuary advisory councils are community-based advisory groups established to provide advice and recommendations to the sanctuary superintendents on issues including management, science, service, and stewardship.

From the water's surface a dive boat readies passengers

Supporting Local Economies

From restaurants and hotels, to aquariums and kayak operators, the success of many businesses, millions of dollars in sales, and thousands of jobs, directly depend on thriving national marine sanctuaries.

a person snorkeling over a vibrant shallow reef with coral and a giant clam

Monuments and Sanctuaries: What's the Difference?

Though they sound similar, national marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments are actually two different types of protections. But what, exactly, is the difference between a national marine sanctuary and a marine national monument?

photo of an elephant seal

Frequently Asked Questions

Though they sound similar, national marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments are actually two different types of protections. But what, exactly, is the difference between a national marine sanctuary and a marine national monument?

Additional Resources

System Fact Sheet

screenshot of the national system of marine sanctuaries factsheet

Download

System Brochure

screenshot of the national system of marine sanctuaries brochure

Download