Science Needs for Each National Marine Sanctuary

Needs are listed by sanctuary. Click on the sanctuary name to go to the full documents.

American Samoa

Updated 2011

1. Climate Change: Ocean Acidification
2. Ecosystem Connectivity
3. Coral Reef Recovery and Resilience
4. Resource Characterization and Monitoring
5. Anthropogenic Threats to Resources
6. Water Quality

Channel Islands

Updated 2022

1. Climate Change
2. Connectivity
3. Data Accessibility and Application
4. Deep Sea Exploration, Characterization, and Monitoring
5. Ecosystem Services
6. Habitat Mapping, Characterization, and Dynamics
7. Human Use
8. Marine Debris
9. Ocean Noise

Cordell Bank

Updated 2014

1. Alternative Energy
2. Climate Change
3. Deep Sea Coral and Sponge Communities
4. Invasive Species
5. Marine Zones and Fishing
6. Maritime Heritage
7. Vessel Traffic
8. Contaminants

Florida Keys

Updated 2014

1. Climate Change
2. Coral Reef Management
3. Habitat Protection and Management
4. Marine Zone Effectiveness
5. Physical Oceanography
6. Population Dynamics of Fin Fish
7. Water Quality

Flower Garden Banks

Updated 2024

1. Biodiversity and Connectivity
2. Climate Change
3. Contaminants
4. Disease
5. Habitat Characterization
6. Human Use
7. Water Quality

Gray's Reef

Updated 2014

1. Benthic Pelagic Coupling
2. Fish Spawning 
3. Habitat Change - Sand Movement
4. Invasive Species
5. Managing Biodiversity
6. Marine Zoning - Research Area
7. Socioeconomics

Greater Farallones

Updated 2016

1. Esteros Habitat Characterization
2. Climate Change Threats to Rocky Intertidal and Kelp Forests
3. Invasive Species
4. Sensitive Seafloor Communities
5. Oil Pollution
6. Vessel Traffic Threats to Baleen Whales
7. Human Dimensions and Socioeconomics

Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale

Updated 2014

1. Distribution of Key Species
2. Status and Trends of Key Living Marine Resources

Monitor

Updated 2022

1. Climate Change
2. Human Dimensions
3. Maritime Heritage
4. Resource Degradation and Corrosion
5. Shipwreck Habitat and Biodiversity

Monterey Bay

Updated 2022

1. Beach Microbial Contamination
2. Climate Change
3. Ecological Characterization of Davidson Seamount
4. Exploration, Characterization, and Monitoring of Deep-sea Benthic Habitats
5. Habitat Characterization of the Continental Shelf
6. Habitat Characterization of the Continental Slope
7. Harmful Algal Blooms
8. Human Use
9. Impacts of Desalination on Coastal Ecosystems
10. Impacts of Personal Watercrafts on Marine Wildlife
11. Impacts of Plane and Ship Groundings and Sinkings
12. Introduced Species
13. Kelp Forest Dynamics
14. Marine Protected Area Impacts and Effectiveness
15. Maritime Cultural Landscapes
16. Sand Transport, Erosion, and Coastal Structures
17. Terrestrial Input to Coastal Big Sur
18. Uncrewed Aircraft Systems
19. Water Quality

Olympic Coast

Updated 2014

1. Climate Change and Ocean Acidification
2. Deep Sea Coral and Sponge Communities
3. Management and Protection of Kelp Forest Systems
4. Mapping and Characterization of Seafloor Habitats
5. Marine Mammals and Seabirds Characterization
6. Nearshore Characterization of Resources and Processes
7. Status and Trends of Intertidal Species

Papahānaumokuākea

Updated 2014

1. Biodiversity
2. Climate Change - Ocean Acidification
3. Climate Change - Sea Level Rise
4. Coral Bleaching
5. Coral Disease
6. Deep Water Habitat Protection
7. Endangered Species
8. Invasive Species
9. Marine Debris
10. Maritime Heritage
11. Resource Characterization
12. Water Quality
13. Historical Ecology

Stellwagen Bank

Updated 2014

1. Acoustic Impacts to Resources
2. Conservation of Biodiversity
3. Marine Mammal Mortality and Injury
4. Marine Zoning - Research Area
5. Fishing Impacts to Maritime Heritage Resources
6. Vessel Traffic
7. Water Quality

Thunder Bay

Updated 2014

1. Anchoring Impacts to Resources
2. Boundary Expansion
3. Socioeconomics: Impacts of On-Water Recreation
4. Socioeconomics: Visitors Center