NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

National Marine Sanctuary System

Safeguarding America's Premier Marine Places

From Washington state to the Gulf of America and from the Great Lakes to the Pacific Islands, the National Marine Sanctuary System protects 18 underwater parks spanning over 629,000 square miles of ocean and Great Lakes waters. By investing in innovative solutions, we strengthen these iconic places against 21st-century challenges while supporting America’s commerce and tourism. These unique locations inspire people to visit, value, and steward our nation’s iconic ocean and Great Lakes places.

Eastern Region

Florida Keys Flower Garden Banks Gray's Reef Hudson Canyon (in designation) Lake Erie (in designation) Lake Ontario Mallows Bay-Potomac River Monitor Stellwagen Bank Thunder Bay Wisconsin-Shipwreck Coast

West Coast Region

Channel Islands Chumash Heritage Cordell Bank Greater Farallones Monterey Bay Olympic Coast

Pacific Islands Region

American Samoa Hawaii Humpback Whale Pacific Islands Heritage (in designation) Papahānaumokuākea

Olympic Coast
National Marine Sanctuary

Washington Coast, USA

Sanctuary News

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Buoyed by the Mission: The People and Work Behind Your Florida Keys Mooring Buoys

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Buoy Team manages a system of over 800 buoys throughout 4,539 square miles of sanctuary waters—and this team of six people across two offices does it all on a modest materials budget of just $13,000 per year! The buoys give boaters a safe place to tie off without dropping anchor, protecting coral reefs and seagrasses that support tourism in the Keys (valued at $2.4 billion). Learn more about a day in the life of a Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Buoy Team Member.

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Force Blue Tour of Duty

three boats on the water with people fishing over the sides

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How National Marine Sanctuaries Fuel Local Economies

Sunset from the back deck of a large vessel at sea

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Restoring Deep Habitats In and Around Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

A view from a seaside cliff of four kayakers paddling in the ocean with a rocky island in the background.

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Notes from the Field

Join us behind the scenes for a look at research taking place above and below the water.

Fish Bits

Wildlife Viewing Guidelines

Explore the Blue: 360° Sea Lion Encounter

A person stands barefoot on a sandy beach, looking out at the ocean where a surfer rides a wave

Visit a National Marine Sanctuary

National Marine Sanctuary System Posters

ROV shinning it's light at the bottom of Davidson Seamount; A varity of sealife can be seen including deep-sea corals, sponges, deep-sea fishes, crustaceans, jellies, and an octopus gardens

Coastal mangroves and seagrass are nurseries for many species of fish, invertebrates and birds that inhabit Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. These calm, shallow waters are ideal for paddle sports, snorkeling, and fishing for species like tarpon. The offshore coral reef features elkhorn and brain corals, sponges, and other invertebrates which create habitat for spiny lobster, urchins, and many other species of reef fish like sergeant major and larger fish like sharks, rays, barracuda, and snapper.

During the National Marine Sanctuary System's 50th anniversary celebration in 2022, a commemorative poster series was launched to capture the beauty and diversity of each site in the system. The posters are two sided, featuring original artwork on the front and educational information on the back. Other posters created for the system over the years have also been added. Dive in and download your sanctuary posters today!

Virtual Dives

Immerse yourself in the ocean and your national marine sanctuaries without getting wet!

Dive Into Your Sanctuaries

Our planet is an ocean planet: Earth Is Blue. The National Marine Sanctuary System protects some of the most iconic underwater places throughout the United States, but we can't do it without you. No matter where you are, the ocean and Great Lakes are in your hands. We hope these images inspire you to help care for our ocean and to spread the word that Earth isn't green – it's blue.

Submit your own photos and join us on:

A Hawaiian monk seal mother and pup lying on a beach

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Stories from the Blue

Stories from the Blue celebrate the people at the center of national marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments. What does the National Marine Sanctuary System mean to you?

What does the National Marine Sanctuary System mean to you?

Sanctuary Nomination Process

NOAA invites communities across the nation to nominate their most treasured places in our marine and Great Lakes waters for consideration as national marine sanctuaries.

nominate.noaa.gov