NOAA Other service Enhanced
National Marine Sanctuaries and Maritime Heritage
NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries manages 13 sanctuaries and two marine national monuments and locates, protects and interprets shipwrecks and maritime heritage.
Description
NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries manages 13 national marine sanctuaries and two marine national monuments covering more than 600,000 square miles of protected waters. Through its sanctuaries NOAA is responsible for locating, assessing, protecting, managing and interpreting the nation's maritime heritage resources.
Key features
- About 3,000 ships and submarines are thought to lie in sanctuary waters; NOAA scientists, oceanographers and divers have discovered 400 sites
- Wrecks found with seafloor mapping sonars and autonomous underwater vehicles and documented by remotely operated vehicles
- Heritage sites include the USS Monitor, the Two Brothers whaler in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and the Mallows Bay Ghost Fleet
- Under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act it is illegal to disturb a site or recover artifacts without a permit
Applications
- Protection of marine habitats and shipwrecks
- Maritime archaeology and heritage interpretation
Specifications
| Sanctuaries | 13 national marine sanctuaries |
|---|---|
| Marine national monuments | 2 |
| Protected area | More than 600,000 sq mi |
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