Celebrate the Ocean

Sea to Shining Sea Newsletter - July 2018

NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries provides services to support American communities, economies and ecosystems. Not only do we work to conserve national marine sanctuaries, but also encourage visitors to come out and explore the underwater parks.

This past June was the annual National Ocean Month and we've seen people celebrating our marine areas in many ways. We hope this will inspire you to find new ways to get into America's national marine sanctuaries!

screen shot of the story map: a photo of surfers on the beach at sunset (left), a map with the locations of all the natinal marine sanctuaries (right) and a carousl of all the sanctuaries (bottom) — Storymap on Travel and Tourism Resources From NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary System. Credit: NOAA

Explore national marine sanctuaries with our new interactive site map

It may be the nation's best kept ocean secret. We call it America's best ocean idea: NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary System.

Click here to explore our nation’s ocean parks without getting wet or plan your next trip to the ocean.

view from behind of a man reeling in a tarpon — A fisherman reels in a tarpon in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Credit: Will Benson

NOAA and Florida Keys fishing guides working together towards sustainability

The new Blue Star Fishing Guides program recognizes charter boat captains who are committed to sustainable fishing and educating their customers about resource protection in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

andrea kealoha and other researchers on a small boat — Anrea Kealoha studies water quality and chemical oceanography in the Gulf of Mexico. Photo courtesy of Andrea Kealoha

Is poor water quality killing coral?

Swimming through hazy, green waters in the Gulf of Mexico in 2016, divers saw something was amiss in the depths of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar, Andrea Kealoha, and a group of dedicated scientists are working toward understanding what caused the localized mortality events

German U-boat U-140 on the water — U-*140* was one of four German U-boats that patrolled the East Coast of the United States. Credit: Naval History and Heritage Command

The untold stories of World War I

During World War I few Americans believed that German navy would be able to cross the Atlantic to reach our shores. However, by the end of the war German submarines had sunk 10 vessels off North Carolina alone, and 200 American ships in total. This summer, North Carolina will honor the 100th anniversary of these historic attacks.

Birds flock to National Marine Sanctuaries

The birds that visit and reside across the National Marine Sanctuary System connect our country's ocean, Great Lakes, and coasts. From sea to shining sea, join us on this interactive tour of birds in our nation's ocean parks and national marine monuments.

Stories From the Blue

Hannah MacDonald grew up with Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in her backyard, and started volunteering with the sanctuary as a high school student. "For me, national marine sanctuaries are much more than protected underwater parks," she says. "It's the national marine sanctuaries that have changed my life and set me on a career path that I am super passionate about and I'm in love with." Watch our video to hear Hannah's Story from the Blue.

surf standing on rock cliff while waves crash around the cliff — A surfer contemplates the swell at Lighthouse Point in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: Douglas Croft

Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest

From now until August 15, send us your best photos of the National Marine Sanctuary System and help us celebrate the beauty and importance of these special places. Winning photos will be featured in next year's Earth Is Blue Magazine and on the Earth Is Blue social media campaign.