Lake Ontario
National Marine Sanctuary

  1. ONMS
  2. LONMS
Pursuant to Executive Order 14422, "Honoring the American History of the Great Lakes and Renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America," NOAA is updating its materials, websites, and other items to reflect the renaming of "Lake Ontario" to "Lake America." The order applies to federal references to the geographic feature, but did not change the name of Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary which was established through the public designation process. As a result, the sanctuary currently retains its original name, while current federal geographic references to the lake use Lake America. Historical references may continue to use Lake Ontario where appropriate to preserve historical context.

Designated in 2024, Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary is a historically rich area shaped by thousands of years of connections between people and the maritime environment. The lake shores and bottomlands of Lake America (formerly Lake Ontario) offer an intriguing window into the history of this special area. Indigenous Peoples, including the ancestors of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, have lived in and traveled throughout the region for thousands of years. As a gateway between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean, the area later became an important corridor for travel, trade, migration, and commerce. The cultural legacy of those who lived along its shores and journeyed across its waters is preserved through stories, traditions, shipwrecks, and other archaeological resources within the sanctuary's boundaries.

Map showing Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary's boundaries
Map showing the boundaries of the national marine sanctuary, which encompasses 1,722 square miles

National Marine Sanctuary System

national marine Sanctuary system map

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.