Stewardship Marine Sanctuaries, Marine National Monument,
and Conservation Area

NOAA maintains the following sanctuaries, Marine National Monument, and conservation area, which are similar in nature to stewardship land:

National Marine Sanctuaries: In 1972, Congress passed the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (Act) in response to a growing awareness of the intrinsic environmental and cultural value of coastal waters. The Act authorized the Secretary of Commerce to designate discrete areas as National Marine Sanctuaries. These protected waters provide a secure habitat for species close to extinction, and also protect historically significant shipwrecks and prehistoric artifacts. The sanctuaries are also used for recreational diving and sport fishing, and support valuable commercial industries such as fishing and kelp harvesting. As of September 30, 2006, 13 National Marine Sanctuaries, which include near-shore coral reefs and open ocean, have been designated, covering a total area of 19 thousand square miles. The waters and resources of the National Marine Sanctuaries are generally in good condition, though some specific resources (e.g. certain coral reefs, some commercial and recreational fisheries, and some benthic habitats) are threatened. Each individual sanctuary site (Monterey Bay, the Florida Keys, the Olympic Coast, and Channel Island are the largest four) conducts research and monitoring activities to characterize existing resources and document changes.

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) Marine National Monument: The majority of all coral reef habitats located in U.S. waters surround the NWHI. The NWHI Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve is the nation’s largest marine protected area, and was established by Executive Orders in December 2000 and January 2001 in accordance with the National Marine Sanctuaries Amendments Act of 2000. On June 15, 2006, the President created the world’s largest marine conservation area off the coast of the northern Hawaiian Islands. This conservation area, designated the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument, encompasses nearly 140,000 square miles of U.S. waters, including 4,500 square miles of relatively undisturbed coral reef habitat that is home to more than 7,000 species. The Monument will be managed by the NOAA National Marine Sanctuary, with the Department of the Interior and the State of Hawaii.

Aleutian Islands Habitat Conservation Area: On July 28, 2006, NOAA Fisheries Service formally established the Aleutian Islands Habitat Conservation Area in Alaska, which covers 279,114 square nautical miles and may harbor among the highest diversity of deep-water corals in the world. The conservation area established a network of fishing closures in the Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska, and protects habitat for deep water corals and other sensitive features that are slow to recover once disturbed by fishing gear or other activities. Six small areas that include fragile coral gardens discovered by NOAA Fisheries Service scientists will be closed to all bottom-contact fishing gear. This effort is part of a network of new marine protected areas in Alaskan waters designed to protect essential fish habitat.