Proposed Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary

In April 2019, NOAA proposed the designation of a national marine sanctuary in eastern Lake Ontario. Eastern Lake Ontario represents a diverse array of important events in our nation's history, including military conflicts, maritime innovation, and American expansion to the west. The eastern corridor is one of the most historically significant regions in the Great Lakes and the country. The proposed sanctuary would protect and interpret the area’s maritime heritage, including a nationally-significant collection of historic shipwrecks. In February 2020, NOAA established a local Sanctuary Advisory Council to provide input to NOAA on the designation.