International Program
Pouring forth its seas everywhere, then, the ocean
envelops the earth and fills its deeper chasms.
- Nicolaus Copernicus
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| Basket boats used for nearshore fishing and ecotourism in Vietnam. (Photo: Ed Lindelof, NMSP) |
Salt water spills over nearly three-quarters of the planet Earth, linking the islands we call continents. The oceans grandly ignore our human borders and boundaries. Fish, turtles and whales swim where they have for thousands of years. Corals spawn and kelp grows where natural conditions allow. Protection and conservation of the ocean requires action on a different, global scale.
The National Marine Sanctuary International Program is doing just that through international partnerships, exchanges and projects. Our international work helps strengthen global marine resource protection in the U.S. and internationally. Our international partnerships help build better technical and MPA management capacity in sanctuary staff and in our colleagues throughout the world. The International Program explores new management approaches to improve global marine resource protection while achieving one of the National Marine Sanctuary Program’s main purposes, to cooperate globally with other marine protected area programs.
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| Vietnamese open air market. (Photo: Ed Lindelof, NMSP) |
Our International Program works in tandem with the National Ocean Service’s International Program Office and NOAA’s Office of International Affairs.
International Action Plan
The International Action Plan is the primary planning document guiding the development of the National Marine Sanctuary International Program. It contains the specific strategies and activities, performance measures, protocols and guidelines for our international work.
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| Marine iguanas sun themselves in the Galapagos. (Photo: Elizabeth Moore, NMSP) |
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