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 to address 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 waters.

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

TA humpback whale wrapped in coaxial cable

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A Life on the Line: A Powerful Humpback Whale Recovery

When a young koholā (humpback whale) was found entangled off Maui's coast in 2017, its survival seemed unlikely. Thanks to expert responders, the whale was freed—and spotted again, healthy, seven years later. This story showcases the power of science, innovation, and community in safeguarding marine life.

Two scuba divers securing a buoy to the ocean floor using metal hooks and ropes.

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NOAA Staff Have Been Busy Installing Mooring Buoys for Public Use Across America

two freedivers hover over a boulder coral as one holds a measuring stick next to the coral and the other takes a photo

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Showcasing Leaders of the NOAA Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassadors

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Training a Community to Combat Coral Disease in National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa

a robotic arm with a sensor gathers data from the water released from a hydrothermal vent in the deep sea

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Five Reasons Seamounts Matter

Deckhands prepare to launch the data buoy by lifting it with the crane on the boat.

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Sentinels of the Lake: How Data Buoys Increase Safety and Support Communities of Wisconsin's Lake Michigan

two scuba divers with lights and a camera explore a shipwreck

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Take a Dive (Live) in NOAA's Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary

students gather by a river and squat down to collect baby salmon into clear containers

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High Schoolers Help Federal Biologists Unravel the Mystery of Spinning Salmon

researchers on deck preparing to deploy a new data buoy

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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.

How to Use a Mooring Buoy

Close up of a crab posing in front of a urchin, its long rostrum blending in with the urchins spines.

Enter the 2025 Photo Contest

Become an Ocean Guardian School

People on a charter vessel peer out at the backs of two humpback whales visible above the ocean surface

Monterey Bay Whale Watching Guidelines

National Marine Sanctuary System Posters

Illustrated poster of the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary. The top half shows a scenic coastal view with a lighthouse, sailboats, kayakers, and paddleboarders enjoying the water at sunset. The bottom half reveals a detailed underwater shipwreck with a scuba diver exploring the remains, surrounded by fish.

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

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