|
Press Release
|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NOAA 03-R431 June 16, 2003
CONTACT:
Matt Stout, National
Marine Sanctuary Program
(301) 713-3125, Ext. 173
NEW MANAGER NAMED FOR NOAAs HAWAIIAN ISLANDS HUMPBACK WHALE NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced today that Naomi McIntosh has been selected as manager of NOAAs Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary on June15, 2003. McIntosh had served as the acting manager since September 2000.
As manager of NOAAs Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (HIHWNMS), McIntosh will oversee the management of over 1,300 square miles of one of the worlds most important humpback whale habitats. The sanctuary was established in 1997 to protect the North Pacific population of the endangered humpback whale.
Naomis service with the National Marine Sanctuary Program predated the establishment of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, said Richard W. Spinrad, assistant administrator for the NOAA National Ocean Service. We are pleased that she will continue her stewardship of these important resources from a leadership position, and that she will continue to serve the sanctuary, which is one of Americas ocean treasures, in her new role as its manager.
McIntosh came to the National Marine Sanctuary Program in March 1994 as the sanctuarys Oahu office liaison assisting in program development with projects such as resource protection, research and monitoring, and coordinating public and media relations, education and outreach.
As acting manager, McIntosh oversaw the successful completion of the sanctuarys five-year management plan review and gubernatorial approval, undertook innovative actions to foster public and private partnerships to promote conservation and management of the humpback whale and its habitat in Hawaii, and established several successful partnerships to benefit the sanctuarys marine and cultural resources.
NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) seeks to increase the public awareness of Americas maritime heritage by conducting scientific research, monitoring, exploration and educational programs. Today, 13 national marine sanctuaries encompass more than 18,000 square miles of Americas ocean and Great Lakes natural and cultural resources. In addition, the NMSP is conducting a sanctuary designation process to incorporate the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve into the national sanctuary system.
NOAAs National Ocean Service manages the NMSP and is dedicated to exploring, understanding, conserving and restoring the nations coasts and oceans. The National Ocean Service balances environmental protection with economic prosperity in fulfilling its mission of promoting safe navigation, supporting coastal communities, sustaining coastal habitats and mitigating coastal hazards.
The Commerce Departments NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nations coastal and marine resources.
On the Internet:
NOAA - http://www.noaa.gov
NOAA National Ocean Service - https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale NMS -
http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov
|