http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/feed.xml News covering your National Marine Sanctuaries and our continuing efforts to conserve our nation's ocean and coastal treasures. en-US None Valarie.Thorpe@noaa.gov Tue, 07 Mar 2006 16:40:37 GMT Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:45:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr110111.html NOAA today released the final management plan and environmental assessment for the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary in Washington state. The document provides a framework for the sanctuary to refine its research, education and outreach programs, create and enhance partnerships, and manage potential threats to the sanctuary's marine resources. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr110111.html } Tue, 1 Nov 2011 10:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1011whales.html NOAA and France's Protected Areas Agency have signed a "sister sanctuary" agreement to support the protection of endangered humpback whales that migrate annually more than 3,000 miles between NOAA's Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off the Massachusetts coast and Agoa Marine Mammal Sanctuary in the Caribbean's French Antilles. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1011whales.html } Tue, 11 Oct 2011 09:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1011children.html The gust of wind carried the grand arch of balloons away from the confines of the city garbage bin. The students of Pacific Grove Middle School in Pacific Grove, Calif., did not delight in their flight. Not cheers, but gasps, escaped from the children's mouths as they watched the balloons drift away beyond their reach. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1011children.html } Tue, 11 Oct 2011 09:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr092711.html With the first confirmed sighting this week of a humpback whale in waters off the Big Island, NOAA is reminding boaters and other ocean users to keep a safe distance from these annual visitors to Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr092711.html } Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr081511.html Lionfish, a venomous invasive marine species considered one of the top predators in many coral reef environments in the Atlantic, have been documented at NOAA's Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary - the first instance of the invader in the sanctuary since the species spread to U.S. East Coast waters in 2000. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr081511.html } Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr080811.html NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries' Maritime Heritage Program and the University of Hawaii's Marine Option Program have completed a survey of sunken World War II-era aircraft and shipwrecks along Maui's southern coast. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr080811.html } Mon, 8 Aug 2011 08:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0711tagging.html This week, a team of government and university scientists is peering into the depths of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary in an attempt to better understand whale behavior and the underwater world they inhabit. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0711tagging.html } Fri, 15 Jul 2011 11:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2011battleoftheatlantic/welcome.html The 2011 Battle of the Atlantic Expedition is all about discovery! Join NOAA's Monitor National Marine Sanctuary as we explore the seafloor off of North Carolina's Outer Banks, search for undiscovered shipwrecks, and investigate a World War Two, underwater battlefield site: the Battle of Convoy KS-520. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2011battleoftheatlantic/welcome.html } Tue, 22 Jun 2011 11:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr051611.html Divers successfully removed 531 invasive lionfish from Florida Keys waters on May 14, during the first event of the Second Annual Florida Keys Lionfish Derby Series in Long Key, Fla., organized by Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF). RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr051611.html } Mon, 16 May 2011 12:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr041911.html Divers will return to Florida Keys waters next month on a mission: net thousands of dollars in cash and prizes while protecting the environment from invasive lionfish. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr041911.html } Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0311catching.html Mavericks. Waimea Bay. Pipeline. The names evoke images of pumping surf, the raw beauty of ocean swells exploding on solid reefs, and crowds gathered to watch in awe as expert surfers take on world-class waves. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0311catching.html } Fri, 24 Mar 2011 10:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr031411.html NOAA's Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary advises San Francisco Bay Area boaters to watch out for and steer clear of whales, which migrate into the San Francisco Bay Area in large numbers during the spring and summer. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr031411.html } Mon, 14 Mar 2011 8:55:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/report2010/ Visitors to the sanctuaries are often struck by their extraordinary natural beauty, but the worth of these underwater treasures is greater than just their aesthetic wonder. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/report2010/ } Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:45:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr022511.html NOAA's Gulf of the Farallones and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries advise San Francisco Bay Area and Central Coast beachgoers against interacting with any seal pups they may find on the beach. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1210clinton.html } Fri, 25 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr020111.html NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, in partnership with Murrain Associates, Inc., and the National Association of Black Scuba Divers (NABS), today launched Voyage to Discovery, a new website and education initiative highlighting untold stories of African-Americans and the sea. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr020111.html } Tue, 01 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr013111.html The wreck of a mid-20th century fishing vessel, representative of a distinctive regional fishing technique, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr013111.html } Mon, 31 Jan 2010 9:00:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1210clinton.html Former President Bill Clinton congratulates NOAA on the 10th anniversary of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1210clinton.html } Fri, 3 Dec 2010 9:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1110lionfish.html There are nearly 660 fewer Indo-Pacific red lionfish in the waters of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, thanks to more than 40 teams of divers who participated in a series of derbies aimed at reducing the population of this marine invader in sanctuary waters. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1110lionfish.html } Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2010reefcrest/welcome.html Over twenty years have passed since the initial exploration of the upper pinnacles of Cordell Bank by SCUBA divers from the non-profit organization Cordell Expeditions. For the first time since the designation of the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary (CBNMS) in 1989, technical scientific SCUBA divers will revisit the shallowest parts of Cordell Bank's reef crest (115-200ft) from October 6-11th, 2010 off of the research vessel Fulmar. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2010reefcrest/welcome.html } Mon, 4 Oct 2010 08:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2010aquarius/welcome.html Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live underwater? Well, from October 12-21 you can find out by tuning in to daily broadcasts shot live from an undersea research lab, the only one of its kind in the world. The Aquarius lab is located off the coast of Key Largo, 60 feet below the surface at the base of one of the many beautiful coral reefs comprising the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2010aquarius/welcome.html } Thurs, 30 Sep 2010 11:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0710blue.html NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is a sponsor and supporter of BLUE, taking place in Monterey, California Aug. 24-29, 2010 at venues overlooking Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0710blue.html } Thurs, 19 Aug 2010 09:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0710montana.html Armchair archeologists across the globe can experience the thrill and excitement of undersea exploration during a series of "Live Dive" webcasts July 14 from NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0710montana.html } Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:10:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2010/pr071210.html Officials from NOAA Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the City of Santa Cruz broke ground Monday, July 12 on the Sanctuary Exploration Center. Located in Santa Cruz' famed beach area at the corner of Pacific Ave. and Beach Street, the more than 12,000 square foot center will function as the sanctuary's premier interactive interpretive facility. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2010/pr071210.html } Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:45:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2010battleoftheatlantic/welcome.html The Monitor National Marine Sanctuary's previous Battle of the Atlantic expeditions in 2008 and 2009 focused on the U-boats and Allied vessels that sank during World War II just off the North Carolina shore. During this year's expedition, archaeologists, marine biologists, and researchers will come together to explore the final piece of the triangle. They will focus their attention on the merchant vessels that were sunk in these waters, as they attempted to bring supplies to the war that raged in Europe. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/2010battleoftheatlantic/welcome.html } Wed, 16 Jun 2010 11:10:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2010ecu_nearshore/welcome.html Come join the students of the Program in Maritime Studies' summer field school as they learn about the shipwrecks of North Carolina. This summer marks an important milestone in ECU's summer field schools as this is the first time in many . This unique program has been developed to provide qualified students with a basic introduction to maritime history and the scientific methods and techniques employed in nautical archaeological research. Follow the students to learn how archaeologists work to unlock the secrets of these wrecks and to preserve their history. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/2010ecu_nearshore/welcome.html } Tue, 1 Jun 2010 10:20:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2010coral_west/welcome.html From June 9 - July 3, the NOAA Ship McArthur II will explore deep-sea coral habitats in depths along the west coast of the United States from Washington's Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, and along deep water regions of California between Cordell Bank, Gulf of the Farallones, and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuaries. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/2010coral_west/welcome.html } Tue, 1 Jun 2010 10:15:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2010nancy_foster/welcome.html NOAA's Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary will conduct a research mission aboard the NOAA ship Nancy Foster May 18 to June 8. Please join us as we report on the activities and findings of this exciting mission. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/2010nancy_foster/welcome.html } Wed, 13 May 2010 02:35:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2010coral_east/welcome.html From 8-14 April, the NOAA Ship Pisces explored deep-sea coral habitats in depths from 200-600 m (650 - 2000 ft.), on the continental slope east of Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. Sampling occurred with remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) and grab sampler, and fish distribution and abundance were mapped with a "fisheries acoustic system". Read the daily blogs. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/2010coral_east/welcome.html } Wed, 14 Apr 2010 12:15:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/report2009 Today, perhaps as never before, our National Marine Sanctuary System is part of a larger means to address the fundamental problems confronting the nation. National marine sanctuaries offer more than just the protection of special marine areas. These special places provide opportunities to address many of the critical problems of our time, such as climate change and adaptation, sustainable economies, and national security. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/report2009 } Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:15:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2010/pr031110.html NOAA's Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary presented its Young Marine Scientist Award to eighth-grade student Julie Avetisyan for her biological sciences project, "Effects of an Oil Spill on Aquatic Plantlife". RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2010/pr031110.html } Thur, 11 Mar 2010 09:15:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2010/pr021110.html Commemorating the 75th anniversary of the loss of the U.S. Navy airship USS Macon, NOAA today announced that the wreck site on the seafloor within Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2010/pr021110.html } Thur, 11 Feb 2010 08:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2010/pr011110.html NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco and the University of California, Santa Barbara Chancellor Henry T. Yang broke ground today on the new 15,000-square foot Ocean Science Education Building on the east side of the UCSB campus. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2010/pr011110.html } Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:30:00 EST http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/news/rescue_news.html On Sunday afternoon, December 6, 2009, the juvenile humpback whale found entangled in a web of polypropylene rope last week was set free. Members from NOAA's Hawaiian Islands Humpback National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA's Pacific Islands Regional Office and Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) were able to approach close enough to cut the entangling lines using specialized equipment. RSS News {http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/news/rescue_news.html } Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:45:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2009/pr111209.html Two World War II Japanese submarines, designed with revolutionary technology to attack the U.S. mainland, have been discovered off the Hawaiian coast of Oahu. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2009/pr111209.html } Thur, 10 Dec 2009 07:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/msp_symposium.html On November 16th the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries hosted "Science for Marine Spatial Planning - A Symposium." The goal of this symposium was to provide an appreciation of practical examples of natural and socioeconomic science that has been applied to coastal and marine spatial planning in the past. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/msp_symposium.html } Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/about/seacucumber.html The Pacific Islands Region, through the Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, helped to support five student interns at the American Samoa Community College in 2008. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/about/seacucumber.html } Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:20:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2009ramp/blog_101809.html Follow the latest blogs from the Deep Reef 2009 Cruise. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2009ramp/blog_101809.html } Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:15:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1009_mpa.html The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) was invited to participate in a recent international workshop called "Governing Marine Protected Areas: Getting the Balance Right." Elizabeth Moore, ONMS chief of staff for international activities, represented ONMS at the meeting and presented a case study on governance approaches and lessons from the National Marine Sanctuary System. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1009_mpa.html } Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/battleoftheatlantic2/welcome.html The 2009 summer expedition is the second part of a larger multi-year project to research and document a number of historically significant shipwrecks tragically lost in the Battle of the Atlantic during WWII. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/battleoftheatlantic2/welcome.html } Fri, 7 Aug 2009 10:15:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2009monitor/welcome.html The USS Monitor is by far one of the the most historically significant warships in US history. By virtue of her rotating gun turret, the Monitor earned the title of being the mother of all modern day warships. However, in recent years this accolade has been challenged by today's emerging technology. Learn more about the expedition through video logs. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2009monitor/welcome.html } Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2009/pr041309.html Dr. Jane Lubchenco, newly appointed administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, joined officials and community leaders at the Grand Opening of the Sanctuary Learning Center for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2009/pr041309.html } Mon, 13 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2009/pr040209.html Marine life and habitats at Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument are in good overall condition but face emerging threats, according to a new NOAA report on the monument's health. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2009/pr040209.html } Thu, 02 Apr 2009 08:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0309_joffre.html The wreck of an early 20th century fishing vessel that represents technological changes in New England's fishing industry has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. The 105-foot long Joffre shipwreck rests within NOAA's Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0309_joffre.html } Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:00:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/makeadifference Our ocean and its creatures have never been more in need of our help. Threats like pollution, marine debris, habitat destruction and climate change are endangering some of our most precious ocean treasures. Entire ecosystems are in peril of collapse. Make a Difference. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/makeadifference } Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/report2008 Today, perhaps as never before, our National Marine Sanctuary System is part of a larger means to address the fundamental problems confronting the nation. National marine sanctuaries offer more than just the protection of special marine areas. These special places provide opportunities to address many of the critical problems of our time, such as climate change and adaptation, sustainable economies, and national security. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/report2008 } Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:15:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/involved/welcome.html Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary announces the start of its management plan review and public scoping. Three public meetings are being held in American Samoa on February 10-12, 2009. Written public comments are accepted until March 26, 2009. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/involved/welcome.html } Tue, 03 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST http://channelislands.noaa.gov/manplan/overview.html The Final Management Plan contains information about the Sanctuary's environment, staffing and administration, regulations and boundary, operational and programmatic costs, and performance measures. The new plan represents a major revision of the sanctuary's original 1983 management plan. RSS News {http://channelislands.noaa.gov/manplan/overview.html } Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0109_kauai.html In December 2008, the County of Kaua`i joined the ranks of Preserve America Communities, which in Hawai`i includes Maui County and Honolulu's Chinatown Historic District. The Preserve America designation is part of a White House initiative that encourages and supports a community's efforts to preserve its cultural and historic heritage. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0109_kauai.html } Fri, 02 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/kids_club/welcome.html The purpose of the NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries Ocean Guardian Kids Club is to encourage children to explore their natural surroundings to form a sense of personal connection to the ocean and/or watersheds in which they live. The Kids Club offers children a stimulating opportunity to express their insights, observations and understanding of their natural environment through the creation of original stories, poetry and visual art. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/kids_club/welcome.html } Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2008/pr110308.html During the season's first rains, citizens in nine central coast cities sampled storm water flowing into NOAA's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary on Nov. 3 as part of the "First Flush" volunteer water quality monitoring program. The storm water runoff carried with it months of accumulated litter, oil, chemicals and other pollutants that were washed off city streets and flushed through storm drains directly into the sanctuary. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2008/pr110308.html } Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:30:00 EST http://flowergarden.noaa.gov/science/ike2008.html During the late afternoon of September 12, 2008, Hurricane Ike crossed directly over East Flower Garden Bank, in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. At the time of passage over the sanctuary, the storm was a Category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, with sustained winds of 105mph, and atmospheric pressure at 955mb. The highest winds recorded by TABS Buoy V, located close to East Flower Garden Bank, were 60 mph at midnight on September 12th. The storm was moving WNW at 12 mph. RSS News {http://flowergarden.noaa.gov/science/ike2008.html } Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1008_maui.html The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation designated Maui County a Preserve America Community June 26, 2008 making Maui County the second Hawai`i community, and the first County in Hawaii, to achieve Preserve America designation. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1008_maui.html } Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1008_barcelona.html For one week earlier this month, thousands of conservation professionals, researchers, interest groups and students met in Barcelona, Spain, at the World Conservation Congress, an event that is the largest of its kind in the world. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1008_barcelona.html } Tue, 7 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0908_rower.html Roz Savage, the record setting long distance rower, left from beneath the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco on May 25 and rowed her 24 ft boat across 2,300 miles of treacherous Pacific Ocean until she arrived in Hawaii on September 1. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0908_rower.html } Fri, 5 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2008cordellbank/welcome.html National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists are setting off on a 6-day research mission exploring the remote habitats of Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary and testing methods of removing derelict fishing gear from the seafloor using a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2008cordellbank/welcome.html } Fri, 21 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/condition/grnms/welcome.html By assuming that a common marine ecosystem framework can be applied to all places, the National Marine Sanctuary program developed a series of questions that are posed at all sites and used as evaluation criteria to assess resource condition and trends. This report covers Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/condition/grnms/welcome.html } Wed, 19 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2008pmnm/blog_081308.html Today was a great day to be a maritime archaeologist! After conducting a systematic search based upon historical records, the team discovered what we are confident is the remains of the Gledstanes, a British whaler that wrecked in heavy seas on the reef at Kure Atoll in 1837. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2008pmnm/blog_081308.html } Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0808nccos.html This summer, NOAA scientists continued a long-running study of Florida's remote Dry Tortugas Ecological Reserve, widely recognized as home to some of the most productive and unique marine resources in the entire Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The information they gathered will be added to eight years of research on the effects of marine protected areas on the rich marine life and habitats of the Florida Keys. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0808nccos.html } Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:20:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/battleoftheatlantic/welcome.html NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries conducted an archaeological expedition to survey ships sunk off the coast of North Carolina during the WWII Battle of the Atlantic. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/battleoftheatlantic/welcome.html } Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:00:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/conservation/gom.html The Scientific Forum on the Gulf of Mexico: The Islands in the Stream Concept took place in January 2008 in Sarasota, Florida. The purpose of the meeting was to bring together scientists and managers from around the Gulf of Mexico to discuss a range of topics on our knowledge of the Gulf of Mexico, from its geology to larger-scale connectivity to the Caribbean region, and their applications to the concept of a more integrated approach to area-based management. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/conservation/gom.html } Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:21:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2008/pr062708.html NOAA christened a new, state-of-the-art research vessel that will enhance the study and protection of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico. The 83-foot R/V Manta will operate out of Galveston, Texas, where the sanctuary is headquartered. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2008/pr062708.html } Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:25:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2008/pr062608.html Santa Barbara and Ventura County residents and visitors can now explore Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary without getting their feet wet through new state-of-the-art touch screen NOAA kiosks located at four sites along the coast. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2008/pr062608.html } Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:05:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2008nancy_foster/welcome.html The primary goal of this expedition is to gather information to better understand, manage and protect the natural resources of Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. The first leg, May 5-11, will focus on mapping the seafloor and scuba diving on newly discovered areas to conduct fish assessments, benthic habitat mapping and photographic documentation. The second leg, May 13-20, will involve fish tagging, marine debris monitoring, invertebrate monitoring, and more mapping activities. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2008nancy_foster/welcome.html } Fri, 02 May 2008 10:25:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/nwhi2008/ Follow along as the NOAA ship Oscar Elton Sette takes part in a 17-day cruise from March 24 to April 9, 2008 from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, to an area north of Hawaii called the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone (STCZ). RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/nwhi2008/ } Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0308iyor.html Recognizing an urgent need to increase awareness and understanding of coral reefs, and to further conserve and manage valuable reef ecosystems, the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) designated 2008 as the International Year of the Reef. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0308iyor.html } Mon, 07 Apr 2008 10:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/sos2007/ Our featured accomplishment came in July when NOAA expanded protected areas within the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. The move permanently bans fishing from nearly 111 square miles around the Channel Islands, extending a network of marine reserves that now make up the largest area of no-fishing zones in the continental United States. Combined with the state marine reserves of the sanctuary, the protected area encompasses more than 300 square miles. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/sos2007/ } Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:45:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2008/pr030608.html NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the U.S. Army Dive Company joined forces to repair buoy moorings, remove trash from dive sites, and install listening devices to track fish in national marine sanctuaries off Florida and Georgia. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2008/pr030608.html } Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:45:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/historical_ecology/welcome.html How can we tell what the marine environment looked like underwater before the advent of modern science, before scuba diving, submarines or sonar? The fish kept no records. Can we somehow ask our forefathers if they knew about the variety and wealth of marine life underwater? This, in effect, is what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and university partners are attempting to do: look at our changing marine environment through the eyes of people from as early as the 17th century. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/historical_ecology/welcome.html } Mon, 03 Mar 2008 09:12:00 EST http://flowergarden.noaa.gov/news_events/wrasse_article.html The description of a species of coral reef wrasse that is new to science has been published in the December 2007 issue of the journal Copeia. The article, written by former Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) research specialist Doug Weaver and co-author Luis Rocha is titled: "A new species of Halichoeres (Teleostei: Labridae) from the western Gulf of Mexico" (Copeia 2007(4): 798-807). This species was nicknamed the "Mardi Gras wrasse" by sanctuary staff due to the bright purple, yellow and green coloration of the terminal male phase. As is typical of wrasses, the juvenile and non-terminal phases of this species are a completely different color. In this case, they are red with a white stripe running from nose to tail. RSS News {http://flowergarden.noaa.gov/news_events/wrasse_article.html } Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:54:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/maritime/expeditions/hassler/ As part of NOAA's two hundredth anniversary celebration of the U.S. Coast Survey, four archaeologists returned to Alaska in May 2007 for a more focused expedition to wreck of the Hassler - a pioneering survey and science ship sometimes better known for its tragic destruction rather than its innovative technology and distinguished career. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/maritime/expeditions/hassler/ } Tue, 14 Aug 2007 10:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2007/pr080907.html The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has completed a network of marine zones in the federal waters of Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. The federal water marine zones, which will protect marine habitats and sensitive species, went into effect on July 29, 2007. NOAAa??s action complements an existing network of marine zones established in the waters of the sanctuary by the state of California in 2003. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2007/pr080907.html } Thu, 09 Aug 2007 11:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0707_fbtrail.html A new nature trail connecting Fagatele Bay with Larsens Bay in American Samoa opened in March. The trail is a new collaboration between Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the people of Taputimu, Futiga and Vaitogi villages, and serves as a link between the villages, all of which have an important stake in the future of the sanctuary and its surrounding coastal environments and watersheds. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0707_fbtrail.html } Thu, 02 Aug 2007 13:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0707_rower.html Can you imagine rowing across an ocean alone? Roz Savage can. She spent 103 days in a solo row across the Atlantic during the winter of 2005/2006. Now she plans a three-stage row across the Pacific through several national marine sanctuaries, alone and unaccompanied. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0707_rower.html } Tue, 10 Jul 2007 10:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2007grnms/welcome.html Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuaries staff, along with researchers from several universities and other organizations, are taking part in an expedition in and around the Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary from June 12-22, 2007. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2007grnms/welcome.html } Tue, 12 Jun 2007 12:35:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0507_dolphinsmart.html The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary staff, NOAA Fisheries Service, and local partners developed Dolphin SMART after tour operators approached the Sanctuary Advisory Council with concerns that increases in the number of charters could potentially harass dolphins. Learn more about it. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0507_dolphinsmart.html} Fri, 25 May 2007 12:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0407_entanglement.html This February, a call came in to the Hawaiian Islands Disentanglement Network about a distressed whale off Hawaii's Big Island. Coordinators David Mattila and Ed Lyman from the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and their team successfully freed the whale, but the outlook is still grim for the animal. "The whale was thin, light colored, and covered with a carpet of whale lice. These are indications of poor health, most likely caused by the entanglement," Lyman said. This event is an example of the troubling situation that is unfolding in and outside sanctuary waters. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0407_entanglement.html} Tue, 15 May 2007 10:00:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/welcome.html The NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Program in collaboration with National Geographic Society has launched a new series of marine education lesson plans highlighting cutting-edge research, maritime heritage, cultural resources and environmental issues in our national marine sanctuaries. Designed for K-12 teachers and marine educators, the "Oceans for Life" series of lessons and videos gives students an opportunity to explore the history, biology, and ecology of the National Marine Sanctuary System. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/welcome.html} Mon, 07 May 2007 13:15:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2007/pr041607.html NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary Program and the California Ocean Protection Council released new data and three-dimensional imagery of the sea floor off California that helps explain why the famed "Mavericks" waves are among the largest in the continental United States RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2007/pr041607.html} Mon, 16 Apr 2007 12:15:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2007fgb/ During the Secrets of the Gulf expedition, Dr. Robert Ballard and a team of researchers, including sanctuaries staff, will explore the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2007fgb/} Wed, 28 Feb 2007 14:30:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/sos2006/ The National Marine Sanctuary Program is making major strides in developing results-oriented resource protection, science, management and educational programs. This Web site highlights the program's key 2006 accomplishments and our progress toward delivering results in marine conservation. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/sos2006/} Mon, 26 Feb 2007 11:00:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2007/pr021607.html Several new regulations for NOAA Gray?s Reef National Marine Sanctuary become effective today, providing greater protection for the sanctuary?s valuable marine resources and live-bottom reef habitat. The new regulations were released to the public in July 2006 as part of the sanctuary's revised management plan. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2007/pr021607.html} Fri, 16 Feb 2007 14:10:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2007/pr012607.html The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has established a 'sister sanctuary' arrangement between Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Massachusetts and the Marine Mammal Sanctuary of the Dominican Republic, two marine protected areas 3,000 miles apart that provide conservation programs for the same population of humpback whales. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2007/pr012607.html} Tue, 6 Feb 2007 12:15:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0107_octribes.html The coastal treaty Indian tribes, State of Washington and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Sanctuary Program have established an Intergovernmental Policy Council to manage the marine resources of Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. The Policy Council will provide a forum for the tribal, state and federal governments to coordinate activities within the sanctuary. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0107_octribes.html} Mon, 5 Feb 2007 10:05:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0107_whalerescue.html What started out as a routine day of fishing for a well-intentioned New Zealand man quickly turned to tragedy when he attempted to save an entangled humpback whale off New Zealand?s coast. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0107_whalerescue.html} Thu, 25 Jan 2007 09:21:00 EST http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0107_ecocenter.html NOAA opened the doors to the brand-new, 6,400-square-foot Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center on Jan. 13, treating visitors to an exciting array of interactive exhibits highlighting the rich natural environment of the Keys. RSS News {http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0107_ecocenter.html} Tue, 23 Jan 2007 12:21:00 EST