Tag: Marine Sanctuary

During the Coral Health Experience, divers record their observations of healthy, diseased, paling, or bleached corals on a dive slate, and later transfer the data to a state-wide public database. Photo: Rachel Plunkett/NOAA

Becoming an Iconic Reef Guardian: A Purposeful Dive in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

3/22/2026 - By Sanctuaries.noaa.gov, Sanctuaries.noaa.gov. The first time I laid eyes on a coral reef was in the Florida Keys in 2012 after I had just learned to scuba dive. I remember hovering above the reef in awe trying to take in the colors of coral and sponges, the fish moving through… SEE MORE

A drone carries a suction-cup tag toward a humpback whale. A successful deployment attaches cleanly near the dorsal fin, allows the whale to continue natural behavior without disturbance, collects high-quality data, and later releases for recovery. Photo: Ed Lyman/NOAA Permit #25754

Practice Makes Perfect: Drone Operations in Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary

12/18/2025 - By sanctuaries.noaa.gov, Published in sanctuaries.noaa.gov. A well-placed multi-sensor tag on a humpback whale allows researchers to track its underwater movements and observe its behavior. But how do whale researchers practice dropping these suction cup tags from a drone onto the back of a massive ocean animal? With a surfboard, of… SEE MORE

Undersea Conversations: How Fish Keep The Peace in a Noisy Ocean

9/2/2025 - By Rachel Plunkett. Ever wonder how fish manage to hear each other in a noisy ocean? Picture a crowded cocktail party. Everyone's talking at once—but instead of chaos, people instinctively adjust: spreading out or speaking at different pitches. It's a social dance that helps everyone be heard. Underwater, something similar… SEE MORE

NOAA Staff Have Been Busy Installing Mooring Buoys for Public Use Across America

7/3/2025 - By sanctuaries.noaa.gov. Mooring buoys are a vital part of the infrastructure in many national marine sanctuaries. These buoys make it safer and easier for boaters, divers, paddlers, and snorkelers to access sanctuary sites—while protecting sensitive resources like coral reefs, seagrass beds, and historic shipwrecks from anchor damage. Across the sanctuary… SEE MORE

NOAA and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee researchers prepare a new real-time weather buoy for deployment in Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: NOAA

Sentinels of the Lake: How Data Buoys Increase Safety and Support Communities of Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan

5/23/2025 - By sancturies.noaa.gov. Just off the shores of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the Shipwreck Sentinel quietly bobs in the waves—one of many data buoys deployed across the Great Lakes. Sitting within the waters of Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary, this data buoy provides valuable information used by fishers, boaters, and surfers alike.… SEE MORE

How Sharks Keep the Ocean Healthy

4/23/2025 - By Claire Mullin, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Sharks have long been portrayed as terrifying predators of the deep, but really, they are essential guardians of the ocean. Despite their fearsome reputation, these apex predators play a crucial role in maintaining the delicate balance of marine ecosystems. Sharks contribute… SEE MORE

The NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Buoy Team performs maintenance on boundary buoys for Carysfort Reef Sanctuary Preservation Area. Photo: Brittany Torres/NOAA

Buoyed by the Mission: The People and Work Behind Your Florida Keys Mooring Buoys

4/1/2025 - By sanctuaries.noaa.gov. A program in Hawai‘i is trying to increase food security and reduce food waste by using every part of the fish, from bone marrow to blood lines—even making the skin into leather! One thing all Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Buoy Team members have in common is a love of… SEE MORE

Image Credits: Jennifer Ackerman/2022 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest

Rare Species Found in Your National Marine Sanctuaries and Monuments

3/10/2025 - By Rachel Plunkett. America’s national marine sanctuaries and monuments protect some of the ocean’s rarest and most fascinating creatures—species that have evolved in unique ways to thrive in these underwater habitats. From deep-sea black corals older than the pyramids, to the elusive and strikingly beautiful masked angelfish (Genicanthus personatus), found… SEE MORE

Biden-Harris Administration, NOAA Designate 18th National Marine Sanctuary

1/23/2025 - By noaa.gov. Papahānaumokuākea sanctuary status to bring strengthened conservation, management to area. NOAA is designating the marine portions of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a 582,570 square-mile area in the Pacific Ocean, as America’s 18th national marine sanctuary. Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary will be the largest sanctuary in the National Marine Sanctuary System, and is one… SEE MORE

NOAA Releases Final Restoration Blueprint for Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

12/29/2024 - By noaa.gov. After years of devastating impacts to the marine environment in the Florida Keys, the long-awaited Restoration Blueprint for Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary will be published as a final rule in January, following today's release of the final environmental impact statement and management plan. The documents outline NOAA's regulatory… SEE MORE