Скачать или смотреть National Marine Sanctuary System

The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) serves as the trustee for a system of 14 marine protected areas, encompassing more than 150,000 square miles of ocean and Great Lakes waters from Washington state to the Florida Keys, and from Lake Huron to American Samoa. NOAA's National Ocean Service manages the national marine sanctuaries through the authority of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act of 1972, 16 U.S.C. § 1431 et seq. Marine sanctuaries contain deep ocean gardens, coral reefs, whale migration corridors, deep-sea canyons, historically significant shipwrecks, and other underwater archaeological sites. They range in size from one-quarter square mile in Fagatele Bay, American Samoa, to more than 134,000 square miles at the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, located in the northwest Hawaiian Archipelago. The ONMS fosters public awareness of marine resources and maritime heritage through scientific research, monitoring, exploration, education, and outreach and works closely with its many partners and the public to protect and manage sanctuaries. The ONMS is a world leader in marine management by protecting living marine creatures, environmental quality, and maritime heritage resources, while maintaining recreational and commercial activities that are sustainable and compatible with long-term preservation.