Celebrate the Ocean
Sea to Shining Sea Newsletter - November 2020
Few places can compete with the diversity of the National Marine Sanctuary System, which protects America's most iconic natural and cultural marine resources. Throughout the system, we work with diverse partners and stakeholders to promote responsible and sustainable uses that ensure the health of our most valued ocean places. These ocean parks are open to the public, and we invite you to enjoy them and join us as we explore the depths of the ocean.
State of Papahānaumokuākea Monument resources
NOAA has published a report focusing on Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and the impacts faced by its habitats and unique wildlife. The report coincides with several site milestones, including Papahānaumokuākea’s 15-year-anniversary as a marine national monument. Read the report here.
NOAA releases Earth is Blue Magazine
NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries released its annual Earth is Blue Magazine sharing stories and images from America’s underwater parks. Take a deep dive into the Sanctuary System and learn how you can access these special places in our ocean and Great Lakes. Read the Earth is Blue magazine here.
This year's magazine also includes a digital poster of a whale fall: the body of a dead whale that has sunk to the seafloor. The whale’s body provides a sudden, concentrated food source — a bonanza for organisms in the deep sea for years to come.
Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest winners
Dreaming of an adventure? Well, you’re in luck! Photos by this year’s contestants will take you on a journey all across your National Marine Sanctuary System. Check out the winning entries for the Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest. Click here to see and hear from the photographers on what inspired this year’s winning photographs.
New black coral species discovered in Flower Gardens Banks
The collection and genetic characterization of a new species of black coral in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary was supported by Team Black Coral – a group of undergraduate minority student researchers from Dr. Mercer R. Brugler's laboratory at City University of New York. Read more about the discovery here.
The underwater world of living shipwrecks
Explore North Carolina shipwrecks and the marine life that inhabit them in 3D with NOAA’s new website: Living Shipwrecks 3D. This work not only honors the sacrifices of our Allied seamen and the heroism of the U.S. Merchant Marine, but also recognizes the role these shipwrecks play today in the region’s health as habitat for vibrant and thriving marine ecosystems.
Video - Small Boats in National Marine Sanctuaries
Every national marine sanctuary relies on small boats to conduct its on-water operations and implement its management plan, each of which addresses unique local challenges and opportunities. Get to know this program in our new video! Watch the video here.