Threats like pollution, marine debris, habitat destruction and climate change are endangering some of our most precious ocean treasures. Entire ecosystems are in peril of collapse.

Coral reefs are ailing worldwide, once-productive fisheries are suffering severe declines, and endangered whales face ever-present hazards from marine debris entanglement and vessel strikes. Discarded cigarette lighters and other pieces of plastic trash make their way across thousands of miles of ocean, ending up in the stomachs of albatross chicks in the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Today, perhaps as never before, our National Marine Sanctuary System is part of a larger means to address the fundamental problems confronting the nation. National marine sanctuaries offer more than just the protection of special marine areas; these special places provide opportunities to address many of the critical problems of our time, such as climate change and adaptation, sustainable economies, and national security. Our system of marine sanctuaries helps builds communities, encouraging Americans to find common ground and reach collective solutions of nationwide significance.