National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

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National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

Connecting people to treasured places in our ocean and Great Lakes - your National Marine Sanctuaries

08/11/2026

MARINE DEBRIS MILESTONE! 🪸 150,000 pounds of marine debris have been removed from NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary by Goal: Clean Seas Florida Keys!

That's the equivalent of almost 4 of the Southernmost Point Buoys!

Since 2018, this program has:

🎣 removed over 38 miles of rope & line (almost 6x the length of the Seven Mile Bridge!)
🤿 engaged over 11,000 volunteer divers
🌊 spent 1 year and 10 months of dive time underwater removing debris

THANK YOU to the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and all the Blue Star dive shops that help us keep these public waters clean!

Dive in and learn how you can get involved at https://marinesanctuary.org/goalcleanseas !

(All removal work completed was in NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and conducted under permits from the sanctuary and MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife.)

08/04/2026

Waters For All 🌊

Water is where we explore, discover, and restore our connection, so our shared waters are clean, open, and accessible.

In a quarter of a century, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation has expanded and deepened people’s connections and access to our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes, and built partnerships with coastal communities and businesses alongside over 629,000 square miles of public waters, from Massachusetts to American Samoa and the Great Lakes to the Florida Keys.

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation secures our shared waters for all.

Join us at marinesanctuary.org!

🎥: National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Fresh TV

07/17/2026

Putting gear to the test! See how innovative gear supports whales and fishing livelihoods. 🐳

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation's gear innovation program works alongside California commercial fishermen to test innovative "pop-up" gear, which could help reduce whale entanglement risk while allowing access for fishermen to the commercial Dungeness crab fishery, one of the most economically important in California.

Since 2023, this program has:
- Established a free gear lending library
- Completed 880+ trials of gear across 7 on-demand systems
- Held 20+ trainings and at-sea demos

This work is made possible by partnerships with the fishing community, gear manufacturers, and resource management agencies – including the California Ocean Protection Council, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and NOAA Fisheries. Special thanks to our funders California Ocean Protection Council, Volgenau Foundation, Marine Mammal Commission, and Tides.

Learn more at https://marinesanctuary.org/gear-innovation/

📽️: Additional footage ©Steve DeNeef courtesy New England Aquarium

06/26/2026

Inside the guide: Explore Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary!

Known as "Shipwreck Alley," NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary holds a collection of almost 100 historic shipwrecks preserved by the chilly freshwater of Lake Huron in northern Michigan.

Nearly 100,000 visitors head to Thunder Bay each year to go diving, snorkeling, fishing, paddling, and more! During your visit you can:

⚓ Explore the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center
🌊 Visit the Presque Isle Lighthouses
🛥️ See a shipwreck first-hand on a glass-bottom boat tour

Dive in and check out our top travel tips in our Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Travel Guide! https://marinesanctuary.org/sanctuaries/thunder-bay

06/24/2026

Behind the seas at Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2026 🌊

As CHOW celebrated twin milestones of the conference's 25th year alongside the nation's 250th anniversary, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation honored the earliest stewards of our waters and charted the course for the next generation of wavemakers.

“We must make sure that [the next generation] understands they’re part of the greatest moment of human history – of exploration and discovery,” said keynote speaker Nainoa Thompson of the Hōkūleʻa Crew.

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation was proud to partner with the National Maritime Historical Society on the Program.

Thank you to all our sponsors, partners, and participants for joining us to launch bold breakthroughs, ignite discovery and secure waters for all.

CapitolHillOceanWeek.org

06/18/2026

We were thrilled to represent Monitor National Marine Sanctuary at CHOW, sharing the incredible work we’ve been doing in collaboration with Northrop Grumman.

Through interactive tabling sessions, we showcased our joint project, before taking the main stage for a closing keynote, on how this partnership is driving marine conservation and innovation forward.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by, asked questions, and shared our passion for protecting our underwater treasures!

Photos: National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

06/16/2026

It's time to shell-ebrate! 🐢 For and the opening of the photo contest, we're spotlighting some turtle-y awesome photos!

This year, there are four exciting new contest categories:

🌊 Life in Motion
🚣‍♂️ Sanctuaries and You
🏝️ The Water's Edge
⚓ Ripples from the Past

Submit your best snapshots to NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries' by September 7!

Learn more: https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/photo-contest.html

Address

Silver Spring, MD

Telephone

+13016083040

Website

http://www.marinesanctuary.org/

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