A U.S. National Marine Sanctuary is a protected marine ecosystem within U.S. waters. Currently there are 13 sanctuaries, which are administered by the National Marine Sanctuaries Program, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The program began after an oil spill off California in 1969 brought the plight of marine ecosystems to national attention. The United States Congress responded in 1972 with the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act which allowed for the creation of marine sanctuaries. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a scientific agency of the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere. ... Subsequent to an Oil Spill An oil spill is the unintentional release of liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment as a result of human activity. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... A coral reef near the Hawaiian islands is an example of a complex marine ecosystem. ... Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate President pro tempore Dick Cheney, (R) since January 20, 2001 Robert C. Byrd, (D) since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

List of U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries

• Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (Pacific)
• Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary (Pacific)
• Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary (Pacific)
• Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (Atlantic, Gulf Coast)
• Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (Gulf Coast)
• Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary (Atlantic)
• Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (Pacific)
• Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (Pacific)
• Monitor National Marine Sanctuary (Atlantic)
• Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (Pacific)
• Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (Pacific)
• Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (Atlantic)
• Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (Great Lakes)
• Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (Pacific)

The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary is a reserve area off the Pacific coast of the United States, near California. ... The Pacific Ocean (from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, peaceful sea, bestowed upon it by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan) is the largest of the Earths oceanic divisions. ... Map of Cordell Bank sanctuary Underwater topography of Cordell Bank showing seamount and nearby Farallon Islands Cordell Bank - Rosy Rockfish and Strawberry Anemones at 55. ... Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary in American Samoa is the smallest, yet one of the most important Marine sanctuaries as it is home to more fish and marine mammals than any other marine sanctuary. ... Florida Keys NMS The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is a U.S. National Marine Sanctuary in the Florida Keys. ... “Atlantic” redirects here. ... The Gulf of Mexico is a major body of water bordered and nearly landlocked by North America. ... The Flower Garden Banks (often simply the Flower Gardens) is a U.S. National Marine Sanctuary in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, located roughly 105 miles (170 km) south of Sabine Pass. ... Grays Reef National Marine Sanctuary is one of the largest near shore live-bottom reefs in the southeastern United States. ... The Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary is one of 13 marine sanctuaries in the U.S., found outside San Franciscos Golden Gate, and comprises part of the United Nations Golden Gate Biosphere Reserve . ... The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) is a Federally protected marine area offshore of Californias central coast. ... Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary is one of 13 marine sanctuaries in the U.S., found off the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state, U.S.A. The Sanctuary was declared in 1994 and protects about 3,310 square miles of the Pacific Ocean between... Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is an 842-square-mile (638-square-nautical-mile) federally protected marine sanctuary located at the mouth of Massachusetts Bay, between Cape Cod and Cape Ann. ... The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve is a U.S. National Marine Sanctuary on the Thunder Bay of Lake Huron within the U.S. state of Michigan. ... The Great Lakes from space The Laurentian Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes in North America on or near the Canada-United States border. ... The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (formerly the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument) is the largest Marine Protected Area in the world and was named by the American television show Good Morning America and newspaper USA Today as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World [1...

External links

• National Marine Sanctuaries
• KeepOceansClean.org created by Animax Entertainment