Latest Reports

The Conservation Series is a publication series hosted by the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. It provides a forum to publish reports that focus on complex issues facing the sanctuary system.

Science for Management

french angelfish

diver underwater with a clipboard

marine debris on a beach






kelp in the water

top left a breaching whale; top right: kelp bending with the current; bottom left: bent over sea grass; Bottom right: a small body of water with hills in the background

collage of activities in National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa

Beneath the Surface:
                                            Maritime Cultural Landscapes at Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine
                                            Sanctuary; Part II: Commercial Fisheries Maritime Cultural Landscape
                                            Approach, Historical Overview, and Resources

Beneath the Surface: Maritime
                                            Cultural Landscapes at Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine
                                            Sanctuary; Part I: Recommendations and Resources for Applying Maritime
                                            Cultural Landscape Approaches

shipping container in the deep sea


clockwise from top left: The second Point Conception lighthouse, located 133 feetabove the Pacific Ocean; Point Conception, traditionally known by the Chumash people as the Western Gate, where cold northern waters meet warm tropical southern currents; the coralcovered anchor of the shipwreck site SS San Pedro; Morro Bay Harbor, a home port for commercial fishing, sport fishing, whale watching, and recreational boating.

greenblotch parrotfish (Sparisoma atomarium) near a derelict fishing net

body of water with mountains in the distance

report cover: A school of fish among sponges and sea urchins on the bank crest at Stetson Bank

report cover: A loggerhead sea turtle swims over coral colonies
a diagram showing diverse ocean life

the head of a humpback whale extends out of the water

coral reef

four images into one consisting of corals and an octopus

diver swim near a ray

diverswims above urchins

diver conducts roving fish survey

Guide to Translocating Coral Fragments for Deep-sea Restoration

Two Barracudas swim above corals

colorful reef

Fish eye view of a coral reef

Graphic marking an area off the coast of massachusetts and showing some animals that live there

Graphic Breaking Down Habitat of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

multiple fish near a reef - stetson bank long-term monitoring: 2018 annual report cover

multiple fish image in a grid pattern

A school of fish swimming near coral
Coral reef
black sea bass over invertebrates
coral reef

coral reef

a submarine cables across the seafloor

sea star

map of the monterey bay national marine sanctuary with boundries and a number of points highlighted

map of the monterey bay national marine sanctuary with boundries and a number of points highlighted

a shipwreck in the waters of olympic coast

A claystone feature that comprises the high relief habitat at Stetson Bank. Various sponges, invertebrates, and fish can be seen.

lionfish swimming into a trap on the ocean bottom

photo of people kayaking

photo collage of shipwreck and people kayaking

photo of fish and other marine life

photo of purple and white coral

photo of a yellow fish and coral

photo of anemones

photo of people on surfgrass

photo montage of birds and sea grass

photo of a lionfish

photo montage of birds and sea grass

photo of seamount

photo of a shipping container

 
photo of a lionfish

 
photo montage of birds and sealife

 
photo montage of birds and sealife

photo montage of birds and sealife

Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Science Review of Artificial Reefs

(ONMS-12-05)

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Examining the Conservation Level of Marine Management Areas within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary: How Protected is the Sanctuary?

(ONMS-12-04)

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Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function of Shallow Bank Systems within Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS)

(ONMS-12-03)

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Facilitating Research in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary: Summary of the 2010 Workshop to Inform the Ecosystem-based Management Initiative

(ONMS-11-06)

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Climate Impacts to the Nearshore Marine Environment and Coastal Communities: American Samoa and Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary

(ONMS-11-05)

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Climate Change Impacts: Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries

(ONMS-11-04)

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Fish and Habitat Community Assessments on North Carolina Shipwrecks: Potential sites for detecting climate change in the Graveyard of the Atlantic

(ONMS-11-03)

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Coastal Ocean Mammal and Bird Education and Research Surveys (BeachCOMBERS), 1997-2007: Ten years of monitoring beached marine birds and mammals in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary 

(ONMS-11-02)

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Reducing the Threat of Ship Strikes on Large Cetaceans in the Santa Barbara Channel Region and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary: Recommendations and Case Studies

(ONMS-11-01)

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Dynamics of Hard Substratum Communities Inside and Outside of a Fisheries Habitat Closed Area in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (Gulf of Maine, NW Atlantic)

(ONMS-10-05)

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Stellwagen Bank Marine Historical Ecology Final Report

(ONMS-10-04)

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Variation in Planning-Unit Size and Patterns of Fish Diversity: Implications for Design of Marine Protected Areas

(ONMS-10-03)

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Examples of Ecosystem-Based Management in National Marine Sanctuaries: Moving from Theory to Practice

(ONMS-10-02)

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The Application Of Observing System Data In California Current Ecosystem Assessments

(ONMS-10-01)

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Reconciling Ecosystem-Based Management and Focal Resource Conservation in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

(ONMS-09-04)

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Caribbean Connectivity: Implications for Marine Protected Area Management

(ONMS-08-07)

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Conservation Science in NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries: Description and Recent Accomplishments

(ONMS-06-04)

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Developing Alternatives for Optimal Representation of Seafloor Habitats and Associated Communities in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary

(ONMS-06-02)

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2002 - 03 Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Science Report: An Ecosystem Report Card After Five Years of Marine Zoning

(ONMS-06-12)

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Channel Islands Deep Water Monitoring Plan Development Workshop Report

(ONMS-05-05)

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Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Area to be Avoided Education and Monitoring Program

(MSD-00-1)

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A Review of Marine Zones in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

(MSD-01-2)

Download the Report Download Executive Summary


A Review of the Ecological Effectiveness of Subtidal Marine Reserves in Central California

(MSD-04-2, MSD-04-3)

Download part I of the Report Download part II of the Report


Noise Levels and Sources in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and the St. Lawrence River Estuary

(MSD-05-1)

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The Impacts of Coastal Protection Structures in California's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

(MSD-05-3)

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Multi-species and Multi-interest Management: an Ecosystem Approach to Market Squid (Loligo opalescens) Harvest in California

(MSD-99-1)

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A Comparison of Seafloor Habitats and Associated Benthic Fauna in Areas Open and Closed to Bottom Trawling Along the Central California Continental Shelf

(MSD-09-02)

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Socioeconomics

report cover: Snorkelers swim over shallow reef in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

two whale near breaching the surface of the water

two whale near breaching the surface of the water

Painting of a lightouse

Two children look over the ocean at a whale tail from the deck of a ship

Fish swim at a brightly colored reef

fisherman pulling fish aboard

man on a paddleboard

The New Presque Isle Lighthouse is one of many lighthouses along Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

snorkellers swimming to the wreck of the monohansett

wreck of the d.b. wilson

crew of the uss monitor on the deck

coral reef in the florida keys national marine sanctuary

left: diver near coral reef; right: fish

photo of people kayaking

photo collage of shipwreck and people kayaking

photo of a lionfish

photo montage of birds and sealife

photo montage of birds and sealife

photo montage of birds and sealife

photo montage of birds and sealife

photo montage of birds and sealife

photo montage of birds and sealife

photo montage of birds and sealife

Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceptions of Management Strategies and Regulations of the Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary by Users and Non-users of the Sanctuary

(ONMS-12-01)

Download the Report Download the Technical Appendix


Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceptions of Management Strategies and Regulations of FKNMS by Commercial Fishers, Dive Operators, and Environmental Group Members: A Baseline Characterization and 10-year Comparison

(ONMS-08-06)

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The Economic Contribution of Whalewatching to Regional Economies: Perspectives From Two National Marine Sanctuaries

(MSD-00-2)

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Habitat Mapping

Automated, Objective Texture Segmentation of Multibeam Echosounder Data - Seafloor Survey and Substrate Maps from James Island to Ozette Lake, Washington Outer Coast

(NMSP-07-05)

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Survey report of NOAA Ship McArthur II cruises AR-04-04, AR-05-05 and AR-06-03: Habitat classification of side scan sonar imagery in support of deep-sea coral/sponge explorations at the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

(NMSP-07-01)

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Habitat Mapping Effort at the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary - Current Status and Future Needs

(NMSP-06-11)

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Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Habitat Mapping: Survey report and classification of side scan sonar data from surveys HMPR-114-2004-02 and HMPR-116-2005-01

(NMSP-06-07)

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Normalization and Characterization of Multibeam Backscatter: Koitlah Point to Point of the Arches, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

(ONMS-06-03)

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Benthic Habitat Mapping in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

(ONMS-06-01)

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Comments on Hydrographic and Topographic LIDAR Acquisition and Merging with Multibeam Sounding Data Acquired in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

(ONMS-06-05)

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Grounding Events: Response & Restoration

Lagniappe II Coral Reef Restoration Monitoring Report Monitoring Events 2002 to 2010 Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Monroe County, Florida 

(ONMS-11-07)

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N-Control Seagrass Restoration Monitoring Report Monitoring Events 2003-2008 Florida Keys National Marine SanMonroe County, Florida  

(ONMS-10-06)

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Preliminary Comparison of Natural Versus Model-Predicted Recovery of Vessel-Generated Seagrass Injuries in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

(ONMS-09-03)

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M/V ELPIS Coral Reef Restoration Monitoring Report Monitoring Events 2004-2007 Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Monroe County, Florida 

(NMSP-08-03)

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M/V ALEC OWEN MAITLAND Coral Reef Restoration Monitoring Report Monitoring Events 2004-2007 Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Monroe County, Florida

(NMSP-08-01)

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M/V WELLWOOD Coral Reef Restoration Monitoring Report Monitoring Events 2004-2006 Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Monroe County, Florida

(NMSP-07-02)

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M/V CONNECTED Coral Reef Restoration Monitoring Report Monitoring Events 2004-2005 Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Monroe County, Florida

(NMSP-06-10)

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M/V JACQUELYN L Coral Reef Restoration Monitoring Report Monitoring Events 2004-2005 Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Monroe County, Florida 

(NMSP-06-09)

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M/V WAVE WALKER Coral Reef Restoration Baseline Monitoring Report - 2004 Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Monroe County, Florida 

(NMSP-06-08)

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Pre-Construction Coral Survey of the M/V Wellwood Grounding Site

(MSD-03-1)

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Biogeography

A Bioregional Classification of the Continental Shelf of Northeastern North America for Conservation Analysis and Planning Based on Representation

(NMSP-07-03)

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Biogeographic Analysis of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve

(NMSD-04-1)

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Distribution and Sighting Frequency of Reef Fishes in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

(MSD-01-1)

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Symposia & Workshops

photo of people kayaking

First Biennial Ocean Climate Summit: Finding Solutions for San Francisco Bay Area's Coast and Ocean

(ONMS-08-05)

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A Scientific Forum on the Gulf of Mexico: The Islands in the Stream Concept

(MSD-08-04)

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Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary: Proceedings of the 1998 Research Workshop, Seattle, Washington

(MSD-01-04)

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Workshop on Marine Mammal Research & Monitoring in the National Marine Sanctuaries

(MSD-01-03)

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CONNECTIVITY Science, People and Policy in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

(NMSP-08-02)

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Living Resource Studies

Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, Okeanos Explorer Cruise, 2011, Taxonomic Guide

(ONMS-13-06)

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Chemical Contaminants, Pathogen Exposure and General Health Status of Live and Beach-Cast Washington Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni)

(ONMS-09-01)

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Davidson Seamount Taxonomic Guide

(ONMS-08-08)

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Observations of Deep Coral and Sponge Assemblages in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, Washington

(NMSP-07-04)

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A Pilot Study of Hogfish (Lachnolaimus maximus Walbaum 1792) Movement in the Conch Reef Research Only Area (Northern Florida Keys)

(NMSP-06-06)

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Movement of yellowtail snapper and black grouper in the northern Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary as determined by acoustic telemetry

(MSD-05-4)

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An annotated bibliography of diet studies of fish of the southeast United States and Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary

(MSD-05-2)

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Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary: A Rapid Assessment of Coral, Fish, and Algae Using the AGRRA Protocol

(MSD-00-3)

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