Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

• Official Web Site (at montereybay.noaa.gov)
• Bathymetric and Topographical Map (at montereybay.noaa.gov)
• Encyclopedia of the Sanctuary (at noaa.gov)

History
The state of California nominated Monterey Bay for consideration as a National Marine Sanctuary in 1977, and It was declared an active candidate in 1979. In 1983, it was removed from the list, based on the management and enforcement challenges of such a large area, the marine conservation programs already in place in the area, and the existence of two other National Marine Sanctuaries in California (Channel Islands and Gulf of the Farallones) that protect similar resources. Under the reauthorization of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act, however, Monterey Bay was returned to the list. During the public comment period, its boundaries were expanded to be contiguous with other conservation areas. In 1992, Congress officially designated Monterey Bay a National Marine Sanctuary.

What's Underwater
The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary encompasses 276 miles of the central California coastline and more than 5,000 square miles of ocean, an area larger than the Yosemite or Yellowstone national parks. The deepest of all the sanctuaries, Monterey Bay has a grand canyon of rich, upwelling waters, reaching down more than two miles below sea level. Supporting one of the world's most diverse marine ecosystems, it is home to 33 species of marine mammals, 94 species of seabirds, 345 species of fish, and abundant invertebrates and plants. The nation's largest kelp forest is also within the sanctuary's boundaries. Bordering the marine environment of the sanctuary is spectacular coastal scenery, including sandy beaches, rocky cliffs, rolling hills and steep mountains.

VISITOR INFORMATION

Things to Do
The largest National Marine Sanctuary, MBNMS encompasses one-quarter of the California coastline and extends an average of 30 miles from shore. Given the expanse of the sanctuary, there are nearly endless ways to visit and appreciate the marine wonders that exist within its boundaries. For links to specific information on activities – including camping, kayaking, diving, whale watching, and wildlife viewing as well as local webcams and slide shows – visit http://montereybay.noaa.gov/visitor/welcome.html.

Visitor Guides
The sanctuary has published a field guide and two regionalized brochures to assist visitors with the activities and wildlife viewing that the central California coast is famous for.

• The Field Guide to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary covers the entire central California coast – habitats, animals and cultural stories – and offers information on where to see living and nonliving resources as well as how to do so safely for both the visitors and the animals. The PDF is downloadable at http://montereybay.noaa.gov/reports/2006/fieldguide/
  2006fieldguide.pdf.
• 50 Ways to Get Your Feet Wet in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is for the Santa Cruz region. The PDF is downloadable at http://montereybay.noaa.gov/visitor/50ways/2003.pdf.
• Wildlife Viewing Guide, from Big Sur to Cambria is available by email request at montereybay@noaa.gov.

INSIDE THE SANCTUARY

Research Projects

• The Sanctuary Integrated Monitoring Network (SIMoN) is an integrated, long-term program that takes an ecosystem approach to identifying and understanding changes to the MBNMS. The program enables researchers to monitor the sanctuary effectively by integrating the existing monitoring programs and identifying gaps in information. To view the research going on in the sanctuary, generate your own maps, or find education resources or links to a wide variety of marine-related topics, visit http://www.mbnms-simon.org.
• The diversity of habitat types and communities in the MBNMS provides a wealth of opportunities for conducting a variety of research programs. The five major categories of projects currently under way are focused on existing knowledge, monitoring, experimental studies, modeling and information management.

Challenges Facing the Sanctuary

• Coastal development challenges include erosion control, minimizing the impact of desalination activities, addressing the needs for harbor and dredge disposal, and identifying sensitive areas for the development of future submerged cables.
• The sanctuary is always looking to improve its ecosystem protection. Challenges include reducing the impacts from trawling, protecting native species from species introduced from outside, obtaining a permanent ban on krill harvesting, and identifying and responding to new issues that emerge.
• Sanctuary staff strive to expand outreach through educating the public about fishing issues, creating more interpretive facilities and extending awareness programs to diverse communities.
• Water quality issues present a constant challenge to the sanctuary. Specific efforts focus on beach closures and evaluation of health risks from contamination, reduction of impact from cruise ship discharges, and reduction of contamination in the sanctuary's watersheds.
• The sanctuary aims to minimize the human disturbance of marine mammals, seabirds and turtles within its waters, especially disturbances caused by personal watercraft.
• The sanctuary endeavors to coordinate its efforts to preserve cultural and ecological resources with the efforts of neighboring sanctuaries at the Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank.

Success Stories

• Working with a wide array of community members and agencies, the sanctuary has implemented action plans to address water quality, specifically focusing on urban runoff, marinas and boating activities, regional monitoring and data sharing, and agriculture and rural lands.
• The sanctuary helped develop a new voluntary vessel traffic regime that places large commercial ships -- some carrying hazardous materials and petroleum products – farther offshore in order to safeguard sanctuary resources.
• The sanctuary has worked with state and federal emergency response agencies to update its emergency response plan. Over the years, the sanctuary has responded to a variety of incidents, including vessel groundings, airplane crashes, oil spills, and a variety of toxic and sewage spills.
• The sanctuary participates in the Point Pinos Tidepool Task Force, focusing on improving public awareness about tidepool conservation through both signage and on-site volunteer interpreters. The task force also conducts research on the role of human impact in changes that occur in rocky intertidal communities.
• With urging from many local user and interest groups, the sanctuary promulgated a new regulation to prohibit attracting white sharks in state waters of the sanctuary.
• The sanctuary works regularly with educational institutions to provide training opportunities for marine science teachers and students interested in marine science.