Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument preserves one of the most untouched areas of coral reef in the world.

The main difference between national marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments is the designation process and the laws under which they are established. Sanctuaries are designated by the Secretary of Commerce, through NOAA, under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA). The NMSA requires extensive public process, local community engagement, stakeholder involvement, and citizen participation, both prior to and following designation.

Monuments are designated by Presidential Proclamation, via the Antiquities Act of 1906. The Act is very simple, has changed little in more than a century, provides broad power to set aside public areas for protection, and requires no public process.

The NOS Office of National Marine Sanctuaries manages 13 national marine sanctuaries and one national marine monument.  At more than 140,000 square miles (362,598 square kilometers), Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is the largest protected area in the United States, stretching the length of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The Monument, co-managed with the State of Hawai’i and the Department of the Interior, was designated on June 15, 2006 by President George W. Bush under Presidential Proclamation 8031.

For more information:
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
NOAA Fisheries Marine National Monument Program

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National marine sanctuary staff conduct research and use that science to better understand the marine environment at all 14 sanctuary sites. This knowledge is necessary to establish an effective strategy for protection.

Public education and appreciation for marine resources is needed for protection. Education programs exist at all sanctuary sites. An educated public understands how to interact in the environment to avoid damaging marine resources and will help to promote the main conservation messages.

The sanctuaries also implement a permit system to regulate and oversee potentially harmful activities in sanctuaries. This framework may be enhanced by the adoption of state and other federal laws and regulations.

Another important tool is “interpretive enforcement,” emphasizing education about responsible behavior as a proactive method to prevent harmful resource impacts from occurring in the first place.

The National Marine Sanctuaries Act, along with site-specific legislation and regulations, provides the legal framework outlining the activities that are allowed or prohibited.

For more information:
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Diving Deeper Podcast, Episode 8 (May 6, 2009): National Marine Sanctuaries
National Marine Sanctuaries Act

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The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is not only the largest conservation area in the U.S., it's one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world. It's larger than all of America’s national parks combined! This vast region preserves many of Hawaii’s Northwestern Islands and is made up of 139,797 square miles of reefs, atolls, shallow waters, and deep seas.

The monument contains a wide variety of critically important habitats that harbor over 7,000 marine species, several of which are only found in this region. It is also home to many rare and endangered species such as the green sea turtle and the Hawaiian monk seal.

The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is one of fourteen marine protected areas that form NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary system. The goal of this system is to conserve, protect, and enhance the biodiversity, ecological integrity, and cultural legacy of marine areas totaling 150,000 square miles.

For more information:
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Diving Deeper Podcast, Episode 8 (May 6, 2009) - What is a national marine sanctuary?

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The Monitor was the first of 14 marine protected areas that make up the National Marine Sanctuary System, which includes more than 388,498 square kilometers (150,000 square miles) of marine and Great Lakes waters. The sanctuary boundaries (2.59 square kilometers or 1 square mile) protect the wreck of the USS Monitor, which lies 25.75 kilometers (16 miles) southeast of Cape Hatteras, NC. Since its sinking in 1862, the Monitor has become a productive artificial reef.

While most of the research conducted in the Monitor sanctuary has focused on the archaeological documentation of the shipwreck, NOAA scientists are now interested in studying the water quality and marine environment of the wreck site. A NOAA data buoy installed in the sanctuary in 2006 is providing scientists and the public the opportunity to monitor weather and sea conditions 24 hours a day.

Management of the sanctuary is focused on preventing further deterioration of the wreck, recovery of important ship components and artifacts, and protecting the wreck from damage by human activities such as vessel anchoring and fishing. Access is generally limited to scientific research conducted under a permit issued by NOAA; however, special-use permits are issued for non-research visits to this historic vessel. For more information:
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Monitor National Marine Sanctuary
Diving Deeper Podcast, Episode 8 (May 6, 2009) - What is a national marine sanctuary?
Diving Deeper Podcast, Episode 16 (September 9, 2009) - What is maritime heritage?

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Within their protected waters, giant humpback whales breed and calve their young, temperate reefs flourish, and shipwrecks tell stories of our maritime history. Similar to national parks on the land, these underwater preserves provide a safe habitat for species close to extinction or protect historically significant shipwrecks.

Ranging in size from less than 2.6 square kilometers to 356,880 square kilometers (one square mile to 137,792 square miles), each sanctuary site is a unique place needing special protections. Marine sanctuaries are natural classrooms, cherished recreational spots, and valuable commercial industries.

Our national marine sanctuaries are part of a larger network called the National Marine Sanctuary System. The Sanctuary System consists of 14 marine protected areas that encompass more than 388,498 square kilometers (150,000 square miles) of marine and Great Lakes waters from Washington State to the Florida Keys, and from Lake Huron to American Samoa. The system includes 13 national marine sanctuaries and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument.

For more information:
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Diving Deeper Podcast, Episode 8 (May 6, 2009) - What is a national marine sanctuary?

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> There are over 1,700 marine protected areas, or MPAs, in the U.S. that cover approximately 34 percent of marine waters. MPAs are found in every region of the United States. The West Coast (California, Oregon, and Washington) has the highest number of MPAs; however, the region with the largest area of MPAs is the Pacific Islands. This is because of the designation of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, which is one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world.  

MPAs are not strictly located in deep or coastal marine waters. There are six federal MPAs and more than 30 state-managed MPAs located within the Great Lakes. Most of the Great Lakes MPAs were created to protect cultural resources, like shipwrecks and historical artifacts. One example of a Great Lakes MPA is the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This MPA was created to protect the more than 160 shipwrecks it contains.

The National MPA Center has inventoried all of the existing U.S. MPAs and found that almost 70 percent of these areas are managed by coastal states and territories, while fewer than 30 percent are under federal jurisdiction. Many state MPAs were created to protect specific coastal habitats and resources, like beaches and nesting bird habitats. Most of the federally managed MPAs include sites like the national marine sanctuaries, national parks, seashores and wildlife refuges, and federal fishery closures.

For more information:

Marine Protected Areas Center
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management
Diving Deeper Podcast, Episode 2 (Feb. 9, 2009) - What Is a Marine Protected Area?

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There are over 1,700 marine protected areas (MPAs) in the United States established by federal, state, and territorial governments. These areas cover 34 percent of U.S. marine waters and vary widely in their purpose, legal authorities, managing agencies, and level of protection.

Although MPAs are found in every region of the United States, the West Coast, including California, Oregon, and Washington, has the highest number of MPAs.  However, the region with the largest area of MPAs is the Pacific Islands. This is because of the designation of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, which is one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world.

For more information:
MPAs: Evolving Efforts to Manage Marine Resources, NOAA 200th Anniversary Web Site
Marine Protected Areas Center
Marine Protected Areas Virtual Library
Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management
MPA Case Studies
Diving Deeper: Marine Protected Areas

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Marine protected areas (MPAs) in the U.S. come in a variety of forms and are established and managed by all levels of government. There are marine sanctuaries, estuarine research reserves, ocean parks, and marine wildlife refuges. Each of these sites differs. MPAs may be established to protect ecosystems, preserve cultural resources such as shipwrecks and archaeological sites, or sustain fisheries production.

There is often confusion and debate regarding what the term “marine protected area” really means. Some people interpret MPAs to mean areas closed to all human activities, while others interpret them as special areas set aside for recreation (e.g., national parks) or to sustain commercial use (e.g., fishery management areas). These are just a few examples of the many types of MPAs.

In reality, “marine protected area” is a term that encompasses a variety of conservation and management methods in the United States. If you have been fishing in central California, diving near a shipwreck in the Florida Keys, camping in Acadia, snorkeling in the Virgin Islands, or hiking along the Olympic Coast, you were probably one of thousands of visitors to an MPA.

In the U.S., MPAs span a range of habitats, including the open ocean, coastal areas, inter-tidal zones, estuaries, and the Great Lakes. They also vary widely in purpose, legal authorities, agencies, management approaches, level of protection, and restrictions on human uses.

For more information:
MPAs: Evolving Efforts to Manage Marine Resources, NOAA 200th Anniversary Web Site
Marine Protected Areas Center
Marine Protected Areas Virtual Library
Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management
MPA Case StudiesExecutive Order 13158 on marine protected areas (pdf, 140kb)

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