Home Stories Stories from the Blue What does the National Marine Sanctuary System mean to you? National marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments are home to thousands of species of marine life, from tiny plankton to enormous whale sharks and humpback whales. They are also the heart of many human communities, from native communities that have depended on the ocean for centuries and continue to do so, to vacationers who dive into sanctuary waters and surf their waves, to scientists and researchers who explore the ocean's depths. Join us as each month as we tell Stories from the Blue celebrating the people at the center of national marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments. Fautasi National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa Emma Hickerson Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Paula Stevenson McDonald National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa Sol Kaho‘ohalahala Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Peter Taliva'a National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa Bruce Popham Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Kimokeo Kapahulehua Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary The MATE ROV Competition Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Beach Watch Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Quinault Indian Nation Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Nancy Foster Scholar - Emily Aiken Monterey Bay and Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuaries A Teacher's Perspective - John Caplis Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Carol Bernthal Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Florida Keys Buoy Team Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Hanohano Na'ehu Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary A Fly Fisherman's Voice - Nathaniel Linville Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary