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Source: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/feed.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<rss xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" version="2.0">
<channel>
<title>NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuary News</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/feed.xml</link>
<description>News covering your National Marine Sanctuaries and our continuing efforts to conserve our nation's ocean and coastal treasures.</description>
<generator>Feeder 3 3.6.4(3196); Mac OS X Version 10.13.6 (Build 17G7024) http://reinventedsoftware.com/feeder/</generator>
<docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
<language>en-us</language>
<copyright>None</copyright>
<webMaster>sanctuaries@noaa.gov</webMaster>
<pubDate>Fri, 31 May 2019 13:32:12 -0400</pubDate>
<lastBuildDate>Fri, 31 May 2019 13:32:12 -0400</lastBuildDate>
<item>
<title>Cosmic adventure: Seeking space rocks in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may19/seeking-space-rocks-olympic-coast-national-marine-sanctuary.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20190531-marc-fries-examining-samples-640.jpg" alt="scientist examining a magentic tool" />
On March 7, 2018, a large meteorite broke up and fell into the ocean about 15 miles off the coast of Washington into NOAA’s Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Eyewitnesses from nearby areas including Quinault Indian Nation and Grays Harbor County reported a bright flash in the sky and sonic booms loud enough to shake homes and cars. The event was so strong it was recorded by seismometers located deep on the seafloor. This summer, researchers will be searching for fragments of the meteorite within sanctuary waters.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may19/seeking-space-rocks-olympic-coast-national-marine-sanctuary.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 31 May 2019 13:32:11 -0400</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary celebrates 30 years of ocean protection</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may19/30th-anniversary-cordell-bank-national-marine-sanctuary.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20190528-cordell-bank-640.jpg" alt="fish swimming over a vibrant reef" />
Twenty-two miles offshore of the northern California coastline is a patch of ocean that looks ordinary to the uninformed eye. But beneath the surface of the deep blue Pacific, a towering undersea block of granite crowded with marine life rises up from the gloom of the depths. Cordell Bank hosts throngs of fish, invertebrates, and marine mammals along its four-and-a-half by nine-and-a-half-mile granite outcrop. The bank sits at the edge of the continental shelf and rises abruptly out of the soft seafloor sediments to within 115 feet of the ocean surface.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may19/30th-anniversary-cordell-bank-national-marine-sanctuary.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 29 May 2019 10:05:03 -0400</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">81C791EF-5567-47FC-A608-62B065ACBF72</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>New deep-sea coral species discovered in Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may19/new-deep-sea-coral-species-cordell-bank-national-marine-sanctuary.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20190515-rockfish-with-new-octocoral-640.jpg" alt="rockfish swimming near newly-discovered coral species" />
Dozens of deep-sea corals thrive off the California coast, but many are still unknown to science. Scientists recently described a new species of deep-sea coral found 22 miles west of Point Reyes National Seashore. The small, yellow octocoral has been named Chromoplexaura cordellbankensis for its discovery on Cordell Bank, a 26 square-mile rocky, underwater feature located at the center of Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may19/new-deep-sea-coral-species-cordell-bank-national-marine-sanctuary.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 15 May 2019 11:08:22 -0400</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>We’re gonna need a bigger boat: Gentle giants return to Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may19/basking-shark-tagging-channel-islands-national-marine-sanctuary.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20190508-basking-shark-aerial-640.jpg" alt="basking shark" />
Spring is notoriously windy along the coast of California. Strong northwest winds can cause hazardous sea states to crop up out of nowhere, especially in the Santa Barbara Channel. But as dawn broke on a crisp April morning, the first rays of light revealed a glassy, calm channel. Not so much as a ripple disturbed the surface. These were perfect conditions for spotting one of the most elusive visitors to the channel’s waters: basking sharks.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may19/basking-shark-tagging-channel-islands-national-marine-sanctuary.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 08 May 2019 10:52:53 -0400</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">1D8C195E-FF05-475F-9FFC-BFDB6B35A497</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>No time to explore the ocean? We’ve got you covered</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may19/join-explorations-of-national-marine-sanctuaries.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20190426-cordell-bank-octopus-640.jpg" alt="octopus" />
Throughout 2019, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration, Ocean Exploration Trust, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will conduct state-of-the-art ocean research in national marine sanctuaries with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and various other marine technology resources. Each mission will be equipped with technology that can connect you to live dives, research, and exploration over the internet. All while viewing at home or with your class at school, you’ll be able to feel like you are co-piloting the exploration at the bottom of the sea while viewing the live footage beaming up from these underwater robots.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may19/join-explorations-of-national-marine-sanctuaries.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 07 May 2019 14:25:38 -0400</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2019 kicks off in June</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr19/capitol-hill-ocean-week-2019.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr17/capitol-building-640.jpg" alt="capitol building" />
Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW), the premier ocean policy conference in the United States, brings together global stakeholders to discuss ocean and Great Lakes science, conservation, and management issues. Be part of the conversation on June 4 through 6 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC!
This year, the Capitol Hill Ocean Week conference will feature engaging conversations with opinion leaders from across the country, and around the world, to examine pressing ocean issues. The conference’s themes this year are: (1) Grand challenges in the ocean and Great Lakes, (2) the ocean and human health, (3) sustainable fisheries, and (4) conserving wildlife.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr19/capitol-hill-ocean-week-2019.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 18 Apr 2019 14:42:33 -0400</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">3313013C-5CD4-42AE-B774-7496011EED40</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>NOAA seeks public comment on proposed national marine sanctuary in Lake Ontario</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/lake-ontario/</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/lake-ontario/qoljill8401-1200.jpg" alt="A diver inspects the bow of Queen of the Lakes, where the anchor remains in place" />
NOAA is asking the public to comment on the possibility of designating a national marine sanctuary in eastern Lake Ontario to protect historically significant shipwrecks and related maritime heritage resources. The agency will hold four public meetings on the proposal announced in the Federal Register. This is the first step in the designation process.
The proposed 1,700-square-mile sanctuary, adjacent to Oswego, Jefferson, Cayuga, and Wayne counties, would protect 21 known shipwrecks and one military aircraft representing events spanning more than 200 years of our nation's history. An additional 47 shipwrecks and two aircraft are also likely located within the proposed sanctuary boundaries, based on historical records.
The proposed sanctuary also includes a separate area surrounding the HMS Ontario, which is both the oldest confirmed shipwreck (1780) and the only fully-intact British warship discovered in the Great Lakes.
The public is invited to weigh in on the proposal during a comment period through July 31, 2019.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/lake-ontario/">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 17 Apr 2019 10:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>What's in your watershed? Snapshot Day celebrates 20 years of water quality monitoring</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr19/snapshot-day-celebrates-20-years-water-quality-monitoring.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20190412-carneros-creek-monitoring-1000.jpg" alt="two people with monitoring equipment standing next to a culvert" />
Early on brisk, sunny mornings during the first Saturday in each May, hundreds of trained volunteers gather at a Snapshot Day organizing hub. After grabbing a hot beverage and a morning snack, they listen to a last-minute safety briefing before heading out to participate in the largest single-day water monitoring event in California. "Be safe, have fun, and remember to put on your protective gloves!" says Lisa Emanuelson, Snapshot Day coordinator for Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr19/snapshot-day-celebrates-20-years-water-quality-monitoring.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 12 Apr 2019 11:23:09 -0400</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">902ED00F-BA99-44C2-9548-C6145BCC833D</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Take the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Boater Education Course to help protect the Keys</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr19/florida-keys-national-marine-sanctuary-boater-education-course.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20190411-boat-transitting-1000.jpg" alt="two people on a boat in motion" />
It's hard to resist the lure of the uniquely beautiful waters surrounding the Florida Keys. But beware: boating in the waters around these islands is like nowhere else on Earth. It is all at once glorious and dangerous, for both you and the area’s fragile ecosystems.
But a little education can go a long way. A new free online boater education course developed specifically for the Florida Keys is available to those who want to protect themselves, their vessel, and the precious marine resources of the Florida Keys. This course is specific to boating within Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and was created to complement basic boater safety training. The course is also available in Spanish.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr19/florida-keys-national-marine-sanctuary-boater-education-course.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 11 Apr 2019 11:32:00 -0400</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">4E5C50B7-C9B6-4026-B590-86A8C850EA49</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Citizen science volunteers devote valuable time and data to national marine sanctuaries</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr19/citizen-science-volunteers-in-national-marine-sanctuaries.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20190410-limpets-monitoring-640.jpg" alt="two teenagers conducting research in a tide pool" />
A volunteer stands on the front deck of a whale watching vessel and captures the perfect photograph of a blue whale tail fluke to send to the Cascadia Research Collective. Another volunteer standing next to her logs the whale species and their behavior into the Spotter Pro app, which also locks in the GPS coordinates of the marine mammal sighting. In between sightings during this four-hour whale watching excursion, these volunteers walk around the vessel sharing knowledge of the natural history of the Santa Barbara Channel and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and National Park and answer questions from residents and visitors.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr19/citizen-science-volunteers-in-national-marine-sanctuaries.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 10 Apr 2019 11:32:14 -0400</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">69840CF8-15DA-47C8-90D8-60B7321596DA</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>My ocean hero: Brenda Lanzendorf</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar19/ocean-hero-brenda-lanzendorf-womens-history-month.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20190326-two-divers-underwater-dwp-640.jpg" />
Women have been instrumental in marine science, engineering, and industry. They have led expeditions into the depths of our blue planet. They have implemented tools and strategies for protecting and preserving our underwater resources. They have guided education initiatives to share important messages about our fragile ecosystem and served as volunteers on many significant conservation projects.
Throughout my 26 years on staff with Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, I have been fortunate to have worked with many amazing women. Among them was one of my ocean heroes: the late Brenda Lanzendorf. This Women’s History Month and Florida Archaeology Month, I would like to recognize Brenda’s contribution to the knowledge of our nation’s underwater heritage and for inspiring others to do the same.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar19/ocean-hero-brenda-lanzendorf-womens-history-month.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 28 Mar 2019 15:52:00 -0400</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">5BAD2CE4-8167-45C6-9A64-D3E7D2C35BE9</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>University of Florida spring breakers make a splash against marine debris in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar19/university-of-florida-students-clean-up-florida-keys-marine-debris.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20190321-uf-students-1000.jpg" alt="university of florida students and bags of trash" />
Most college students leave the beach with a few good pictures and a tan. However, since 2012, students with the University of Florida's Alpha Zeta Honors Fraternity have left Florida Keys beaches with as many pieces of trash as they can pick up. Through a partnership with Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, UF Alpha Zeta students forego a traditional spring break and instead spend a week cleaning up the area's protected shorelines.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar19/university-of-florida-students-clean-up-florida-keys-marine-debris.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 25 Mar 2019 15:52:00 -0400</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">AD382D13-3BBF-4953-BDAB-809AC9B5C800</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title> Unsung Ocean Heroes: Women's History Month in National Marine Sanctuaries 2019</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar19/unsung-ocean-heroes.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20170829-norwegian-640.jpg" alt="jessica hale observing otters through a telescope" />
National Women's History Month was established in 1993 in recognition that "the role of American women in history has been consistently overlooked and undervalued." The observance has its roots in activism for women's right to vote, which was achieved in 1920. We celebrate the month by recognizing the contributions and achievements of the women who are our unsung ocean heroes. 
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar19/unsung-ocean-heroes.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 19 Mar 2019 15:52:00 -0400</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">255C7D7B-3588-4AF9-96FB-5F5BEAD3DEE5</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Oh, the places they'll go! Students from Michigan and American Samoa bond over robotics</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar19/michigan-american-samoa-students-bond-over-robotics.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20190306-stockbridge-samoa-students-1000.jpg" alt="students assemble an rov" />
PVC for the frame. Bilge pump motors for the thrusters. Simple switches as controls. And about a full day to build. These are the components that the Stockbridge High School InvenTeam uses to create the ideal remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Recently, these students traveled 7,000 miles away from home to National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa to engage in outreach at local Samoan high schools. While there, they also helped sanctuary staff conduct research using their ROVs.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar19/michigan-american-samoa-students-bond-over-robotics.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 06 Mar 2019 15:52:00 -0500</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">EFC97DA4-6441-46BA-8629-7390DF839CB8</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Diving into the past: NOAA, volunteer archaeologists reveal American history in the deep</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb19/noaa-volunteer-archaeologists-reveal-american-history.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20190226-hunter-heatley-artifact-measurement-640.jpg" alt="divers measuring artifact" />
In September 2017, Hurricane Irma tore through Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, damaging the sanctuary’s coral reef and the surrounding community. The sanctuary has been assessing and restoring the reef, but has also been focused on another task. At Molasses Reef, one of the sanctuary’s most popular dive sites, the hurricane uncovered a shipwreck structure. With the help of the heritage and environmental preservation nonprofit Diving With a Purpose (DWP), the sanctuary has documented wreckage believed to belong to the 19th-century Austrian ship Slobodna.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb19/noaa-volunteer-archaeologists-reveal-american-history.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Feb 2019 15:52:00 -0500</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">8AD7BE6E-DE16-49B1-89A7-9211CC2AA73F</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>NOAA, recreation industry to strengthen sustainable fishing and boating in federal waters</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jan19/noaa-recreation-industry-promote-sustainable-fishing-boating.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20190212-scuba-diver-shipwreck-1200.jpg" alt="scuba diver with shipwreck and boat in background" />
Recreational fishing and boating are enormously popular American pastimes, an economic force, and a bridge to conservation. In recognition of the importance of these activities to coastal economies, NOAA today announced a formal partnership with leading industry and resource management groups. This partnership aims to strengthen collaboration promoting sustainable, long-term recreational fishing and boating opportunities in federal waters, including national marine sanctuaries.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jan19/noaa-recreation-industry-promote-sustainable-fishing-boating.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Sat, 16 Feb 2019 15:52:00 -0500</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">F5A936B4-9475-4152-B506-D573EDA521B7</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Reaching far and wide: Education in the National Marine Sanctuary System</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb19/reaching-far-wide-education-national-marine-sanctuaries.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20190207-quileute-students-640.jpg" alt="students in front of a sign that says get dirty" />
The National Marine Sanctuary System helps raise awareness of our ocean and Great Lakes and inspires stewardship for our beautiful blue planet among people of all ages. Education and outreach of all types – including festivals, debris cleanups, and classroom visits – drives change and progress. By engaging in conversations and activities around the National Marine Sanctuary System, we develop a shared appreciation and understanding for the world we live in.
Here is a glimpse into just a few of many National Marine Sanctuary System education programs from the past year.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb19/reaching-far-wide-education-national-marine-sanctuaries.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Feb 2019 15:52:00 -0500</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">A393CF1F-78F1-4180-800C-07F54201FBC1</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Return of the king: Researchers track giant sea bass populations in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec18/tree-rings-deep-sea-corals-foster-scholar-carina-fish.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20181220-giant-sea-bass-640.jpg" alt="giant sea bass" />
Deep-sea corals have some things in common with trees. As their branches grow, corals document the minute details of ocean chemistry in ring patterns like those in tree trunks. And like certain trees, some coral species can live for hundreds or even thousands of years, preserving their recording of past conditions. Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar Carina Fish uncovers the records kept by deep-sea corals in Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary for her Ph.D. at University of California, Davis.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec18/return-of-the-king-giant-sea-bass-research.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 20 Dec 2019 15:52:00 -0500</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">37483893-21A6-486F-A810-256B2DA5EC4C</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Announcing the 2018 Sea to Shining Sea Award winner</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec18/announcing-2018-sea-to-shining-sea-award-winner.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[For six years, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has recognized outstanding achievement in the fields of interpretation and environmental education by presenting the Sea to Shining Sea Award for Excellence in Interpretation and Education. The award recognizes demonstrated successes in advancing ocean and climate literacy and conservation through national marine sanctuaries. It also recognizes awardees’ innovation and creative solutions for successfully enhancing the public's awareness and appreciation of the National Marine Sanctuary System.
This year, the award is presented to Anne Smrcina for Exploring sanctuary biodiversity through a marine art contest: a STEM to STEAM initiative.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec18/announcing-2018-sea-to-shining-sea-award-winner.htmlhttps://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec18/announcing-2018-sea-to-shining-sea-award-winner.htmlhttps://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec18/announcing-2018-sea-to-shining-sea-award-winner.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 12 Dec 2018 10:49:00 -0500</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>Tree rings and deep-sea corals: Coral skeletons teach Foster Scholar Carina Fish about the past ocean</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec18/tree-rings-deep-sea-corals-foster-scholar-carina-fish.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20181207-carina-fish-nautilus-640.jpg" alt="carina fish and dan howard look at screens on e/v nautilus" />
Deep-sea corals have some things in common with trees. As their branches grow, corals document the minute details of ocean chemistry in ring patterns like those in tree trunks. And like certain trees, some coral species can live for hundreds or even thousands of years, preserving their recording of past conditions. Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar Carina Fish uncovers the records kept by deep-sea corals in Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary for her Ph.D. at University of California, Davis.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec18/tree-rings-deep-sea-corals-foster-scholar-carina-fish.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 10 Dec 2018 10:49:10 -0500</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">C55C5EEA-AC9F-425E-AB49-D45050169E9A</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The national marine sanctuary legacy of President George H.W. Bush</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec18/national-marine-sanctuary-legacy-president-george-hw-bush.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20181204-bush-grand-canyon-640.jpg" alt="president george h.w. bush at the grand canyon" />
This week, along with the rest of the nation, we mourn the passing of our 41st president, George H.W. Bush, on November 30, 2018. In addition to other parts of his legacy, President Bush enjoyed the distinction of having the most national marine sanctuaries (six) designated during any presidential administration.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec18/national-marine-sanctuary-legacy-president-george-hw-bush.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 04 Dec 2018 15:54:40 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>Maritime archaeologists document historic Graveyard of the Atlantic shipwrecks</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov18/maritime-archaeologists-document-history-graveyard-of-the-atlantic-shipwrecks.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20181129-uss-tarpon-fish-count-640.jpg" alt="diver and fish near a shipwreck" />
The Outer Banks of North Carolina are a world-renowned destination for beachgoing, fishing, and more. But what many visitors to the area don’t know is that the beautiful blue waves also hide centuries-old stories. The area off North Carolina is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, named for the many shipwrecks that came to an untimely end here.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov18/maritime-archaeologists-document-history-graveyard-of-the-atlantic-shipwrecks.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 30 Nov 2018 09:40:45 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>The case of the missing oxygen: Foster Scholar Kate Hewett studies hypoxia in national marine sanctuaries</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov18/case-of-missing-oxygen-foster-scholar-kate-hewett-studies-hypoxia.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20181127-kate-hewett-boat-640.jpg" alt="kate hewett" />
Not every marine scientist has the same origin story. Some are instantly enthralled by the ocean and its many inhabitants at a ripe young age. For others, a lightbulb goes off while sitting in an undergraduate class. Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar Kate Hewett grew up on the islands of Micronesia, but did not consider a career in marine sciences until graduate school.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov18/case-of-missing-oxygen-foster-scholar-kate-hewett-studies-hypoxia.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 27 Nov 2018 09:39:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>Dark water journey: Power of memories guides paddler on historic crossing</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov18/dark-water-journey-chumash-tomol-crossing.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20181120-tomol-crossing-sunrise-640.jpg" alt="tomol paddlers on the ocean at sunrise"/>
Paddling in Dark Water during the annual Chumash community tomol crossing this year was like paddling into the abyss as we pulled water without the benefit of moonlight. The night sky made the waves between Channel Islands Harbor and Limuw, Santa Cruz Island, appear a shade darker than midnight, and the thick layers of fog floating between us obscured what was left of our vision. I couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of me and the five paddlers behind me had little to no visibility. This forced us to measure the magnitude of the currents as the waves crashed against our tomol and paddles. The sound of those waves is the ocean’s breath, and to keep cadence, we must sync our breath with hers.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov18/dark-water-journey-chumash-tomol-crossing.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 20 Nov 2018 14:14:55 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>NOAA Ocean Guardian Schools help protect sanctuary resources</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov18/ocean-guardian-schools-protect-sanctuary-resources.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20181116-gault-students-640.jpg" alt="students and teachers standing together"/>
Adorned with garden gloves and reusable water bottles, the students of Gault Elementary School have been walking the one-mile journey to Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz, California, for the last five years. Led by their intrepid teacher, Susan Dahlgren, and Dr. Bill Henry of Groundswell Coastal Ecology, the students get right to work removing invasive ice plant and replacing it with native dune plants. Seabright State Beach, once covered in the non-native ice plant, is now thriving under the loving care of these students. Their work has been so successful that threatened and endangered animals like the snowy plover and burrowing owl have now returned to these dune ecosystems to nest and flourish.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov18/ocean-guardian-schools-protect-sanctuary-resources.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 20 Nov 2018 10:27:23 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>The goal is clean seas in the Florida Keys</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov18/goal-clean-seas-florida-keys.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20181115-diver-carrying-debris-640.jpg" alt="diver holding marine debris"/>
In September of 2017, Hurricane Irma rammed through Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. High winds swirled destructive currents around reefs and through seagrass beds as strong waves battered island coastlines. Large amounts of marine debris carried by Irma’s powerful Category 4 winds and waves wound up in the ocean.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov18/goal-clean-seas-florida-keys.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 15 Nov 2018 15:01:08 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>National marine sanctuaries honor U.S. veterans with Vet Into Your Sanctuary activities</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov18/vet-into-your-sanctuary-events-honor-veterans.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20181108-veterans-whale-watching-mbnms-640.jpg" alt="people whale watching while on a boat"/>
Every year, each site across the National Marine Sanctuary System holds Get Into Your Sanctuary events. Activities across the system encourage people to experience their national marine sanctuaries first-hand, whether on, in, or near a sanctuary. This year, national marine sanctuaries on the West Coast honored the service of our nation’s veterans by dedicating Get Into Your Sanctuary events as “Vet Into Your Sanctuary.”
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/nov18/vet-into-your-sanctuary-events-honor-veterans.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 09 Nov 2018 10:43:46 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>Sleuthing for the sea: Beach Watch citizen science program celebrates 25 years</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/oct18/beach-watch-25th-anniversary.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20181030-beach-watch-demo-640.jpg" alt="people on a beach gathered around a person holding a bird"/>
Ignoring the sun glancing off the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge, the scientist peered into the computer, intent on the latest entries from her field team of coastal surveyors. She scanned for scientific “treasure” — any notable changes in the wildlife, or telltale sticky tar balls; even unusual quantities of marine debris. All these bits of information reveal something noteworthy, or confirm that everything is as expected. Combined, they reflect the condition of the coast and the open ocean, far beyond.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/oct18/beach-watch-25th-anniversary.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 31 Oct 2018 14:21:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Using art to highlight our connection to national marine sanctuaries</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/oct18/using-art-to-highlight-connections-to-national-marine-sanctuaries.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20181004-olympic-coast-painting-640.jpg" alt="painting of olympic coast national marine sanctuary"/>
This summer I snorkeled in a kelp forest, went tidepooling with marine researchers, had coffee with a recreational angler, learned from a Chumash weaver, and painted. While not your typical summer graduate school internship, these experiences were part of my quest to better understand – and share – the various ways individuals and groups connect with national marine sanctuaries. My internship specifically took me to the five national marine sanctuaries along the West Coast in Washington and California.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov//news/oct18/using-art-to-highlight-connections-to-national-marine-sanctuaries.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 16 Oct 2018 14:21:57 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Sea-riously impressive: Marine art contest leads the way for the future of marine conservation</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/oct18/foster-scholar-sarah-kienle-tracks-elephant-seal-feeding-patterns.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20181002-elephantseal-header-640.jpg" alt="elephant seal"/>
It was almost an ordinary day in the field for Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar Sarah Kienle - except for the Jeff Corwin show camera crew. She was helping the crew with a routine procedure on an adult female northern elephant seal in Año Nuevo State Reserve, using a pulley attached to a sling and a tripod system to lift the seal so the team could weigh her. "This time, the carabiner attached to the sling breaks and smashes me in the forehead," Kienle says. "I crumple and it's all captured on film. The seal wasn't off the ground so she was fine, but I staggered off to the side. It gave me a pretty spectacular bruise. When the episode was aired, the screen goes blank. Then you hear this ‘Ahh!’ and see me crumpled on the ground."
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/oct18/foster-scholar-sarah-kienle-tracks-elephant-seal-feeding-patterns.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 02 Oct 2018 13:48:13 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Sea-riously impressive: Marine art contest leads the way for the future of marine conservation</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep18/seariously-impressive-marine-art-leads-way-for-marine-conservation.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180926-combjelly-krill-640.jpg" alt="drawing of krill and a comb jelly"/>
There are certain things in this life that just feel right together. The classic combination of peanut butter and jelly, the forces of yin and yang, summer weather and ice cream. Harmonious, complementary pairings that we never question or think twice about. Art and science, however, is typically not one of those pairings.
The arts and sciences are often seen as separate entities, existing in opposite spheres of thought and requiring different capabilities. However, the intersection of art and science is not as unfathomable as some may believe. Each year, Massachusetts Marine Educators and Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary co-sponsor a marine art contest that serves as a prime example of this winning combination.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep18/seariously-impressive-marine-art-leads-way-for-marine-conservation.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 27 Sep 2018 10:05:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>NOAA and Florida Keys fishing guides partner to support sustainable recreational fishing</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep18/noaa-and-guides-partner-for-sustainable-fishing.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180921-dolphinfish-640.jpg" alt="two people holding a dolphinfish"/>
Long considered an angler's paradise, the sandbars, flats, channels, and reefs in the Florida Keys provide year-round opportunities for anglers who dream of catching a "fish of a lifetime." These lush habitats support charter fishing captains and guides whose livelihoods depend on a healthy, productive ecosystem.
The Blue Star Fishing Guide program recognizes charter fishing captains who are committed to sustainable fishing practices and educating their customers about resource protection in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The voluntary training and compliance program seeks to increase fishing guides' knowledge and, ultimately, that of their clients, to conserve the mangroves, seagrass meadows, and reefs that are the foundation for world-class fishing in the Florida Keys.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep18/noaa-and-guides-partner-for-sustainable-fishing.html">Continue Reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 21 Sep 2018 16:19:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>National marine sanctuaries on display!</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/earthisblue/photo-contest-winners-2018.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov//media/img/20180918-inspirationpoint-viewswinner-640.jpg" alt="inspiration point"/>
A lighthouse stands as a lonely sentinel on a rocky headland; stormy gray clouds scud across the sky. Sea nettles trail sinuous tentacles through Monterey Bay. A surfer observes thunderous waves, the sky ablaze with color. A mother sea otter tenderly grooms her pup. One may ask: what do these marine scenes have in common?
Though they differ in mood and subject, all of these settings share the merit of being the winners of our 2017 Get Into Your Sanctuary photo contest, held each year as part of the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries’ Get Into Your Sanctuary Day activities.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/earthisblue/photo-contest-winners-2018.html">View the photos…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 18 Sep 2018 09:03:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>National Hispanic Heritage Month in National Marine Sanctuaries</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep18/national-hispanic-heritage-month-in-nms.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180913-adams_ocean_guardians40_kayak2017_claire_fackler-640.jpg" alt="kids wearing lifevest and posing for the camera next to the water"/>
This month, we celebrate the achievements and contributions of Hispanic Americans to our ocean, maritime traditions, and sanctuary communities. We also seek to reach diverse audiences with the message the ocean is for everyone.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep18/national-hispanic-heritage-month-in-nms.html">Continue reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Sat, 15 Sep 2018 13:24:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>National marine sanctuaries on display!</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep18/national-marine-sanctuaries-on-display.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20171031-portraits-winner-douglas-croft-640.jpg" alt="surfer standing on a cliff above waves"/>
A lighthouse stands as a lonely sentinel on a rocky headland; stormy gray clouds scud across the sky. Sea nettles trail sinuous tentacles through Monterey Bay. A surfer observes thunderous waves, the sky ablaze with color. A mother sea otter tenderly grooms her pup. One may ask: what do these marine scenes have in common?
Though they differ in mood and subject, all of these settings share the merit of being the winners of our 2017 Get Into Your Sanctuary photo contest, held each year as part of the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries’ Get Into Your Sanctuary Day activities.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep18/national-marine-sanctuaries-on-display.html">Continue reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 12 Sep 2018 09:03:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Meet the 2018 Hollings and EPP Scholars!</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep18/2018-hollings-epp-scholars.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180911-hollings-epp-scholars-640.jpg" alt="hollings and epp scholars"/>
Each year, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries hosts several undergraduate Hollings and Educational Partnership Program (EPP) scholars at sites across the National Marine Sanctuary System. Working with sanctuary staff, these students gain practical training experience through NOAA-related science, research, technology, policy, management, and education activities.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep18/2018-hollings-epp-scholars.html">Continue reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 11 Sep 2018 13:24:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Humpback whales are navigating an ocean of change</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep18/humpback-whales-navigating-an-ocean-of-change.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180822-humpback-whale-calf-aerial-640.jpg" alt="aerial photo of a humpback whale mother and calf pair at the ocean surface"/>
In late December 2015, Ed Lyman started getting calls from whale watching companies on the island of Hawai‘i. “Ed, how are the whales off Maui?” tour operators were asking. “We’ve never seen them arrive this late.”
Lyman is the large whale entanglement response coordinator for Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. While the sanctuary coordinates and leads the effort to free whales from life-threatening entanglements, it relies heavily on tour operators, fishermen, researchers, and other members of the on-water community to help find and monitor them. That same on-water community plays a major role in monitoring the overall health of and risks to humpback whales throughout Hawai‘i. Lyman works closely with these groups.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep18/humpback-whales-navigating-an-ocean-of-change.html">Continue reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 07 Sep 2018 13:24:19 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Where do they go? Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar Richard Coleman tracks fish populations in Papahānaumokuākea</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep18/foster-scholar-richard-coleman-tracks-fish-populations-in-papahanaumokuakea.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180823-richard-diving-640.jpg" alt="diver near corals"/>
Many Native Hawaiian fishers will tell you the same thing: there are not plenty of fish in the sea. In their childhood, they would throw nets into the ocean and catch numerous large fish. Today, when they bring their children to their traditional fishing grounds, their nets often come up empty. Where did the fish go?
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep18/foster-scholar-richard-coleman-tracks-fish-populations-in-papahanaumokuakea.html">Continue reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 06 Sep 2018 13:22:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Peter DeCola named superintendent at Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov//news/sep18/peter-decola-stellwagen-bank-national-marine-sanctuary-superintendent.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has named Peter DeCola as the new superintendent of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. He succeeds Craig MacDonald, who retired in 2017.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 05 Sep 2018 13:20:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Scientists work together to solve a coral disease mystery in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug18/coral-disease-mystery-florida-keys.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180814-scientist-documenting-coral-disease-640.jpg" alt="scientist diving near coral"/>
In September 2014, researchers began noticing that certain stony corals along the Florida Reef Tract weren’t doing well. The Florida Reef Tract stretches approximately 360 miles in an arc along the Florida Keys and southeastern Florida. Off Virginia Key, in Miami-Dade County, corals were showing "small circular or irregular patches of white, exposed skeleton devoid of tissue," explains Dr. Andy Bruckner, research coordinator for Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. From there, the tissue would slough off, leaving the stark white skeleton exposed until algae colonized it. The disease, he explains, "radiates across the colony and outward."]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 15 Aug 2018 14:40:57 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Scientists unable to identify "smoking gun" in 2016 coral mortality event at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug18/flower-garden-banks-coral-mortality-symposium.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180621-fgbnms-coral-mortality-transect-640.jpg" alt="diver monitoring coral"/>
In July 2016, something mysterious happened at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. On July 25, recreational divers were at East Flower Garden Bank, one of the three banks that make up this sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico. There, they noticed an area where corals and other organisms were dead and covered in white bacterial mats. The culprit was unclear.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 10 Aug 2018 16:14:21 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Tips to win the Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug18/tips-to-win-the-get-into-your-sanctuary-photo-contest.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov//media/img/20180801-3rdplace-whitetern-pmnm-andrewsullivanhaskins-640.jpg" alt="white tern in flight"/>
Each summer, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries holds the Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest promoting the natural beauty of the National Marine Sanctuary System. Photos are accepted in three categories: Sanctuary Views, Sanctuary Life, and Sanctuary Portraits. Winners are featured in next year’s Earth Is Blue Magazine and on the Earth is Blue social media campaign.
Do you have what it takes to win the contest? This article gives some tips and tricks for taking a great wildlife photo and how to best highlight the National Marine Sanctuary System and its many ecosystems.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 02 Aug 2018 12:35:48 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Searching for the treasures of the deep: Deep-sea corals and sponges in national marine sanctuaries</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jul18/searching-for-deep-sea-corals-and-sponges.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov//media/img/20180727-crinoid-bubblegum-coral-640.jpg" alt="a deep-sea crinoid and bamboo coral attached to a muddy ledge"/>
Deep-sea corals and sponges are some of the oldest animals on Earth, living for hundreds of years at depths beyond direct human observation. Coral, sponge, and fish communities thrive in the cold, deep waters off California’s coast, but are rarely – if ever – visited or observed.]]></description>
<pubDate>Sat, 28 Jul 2018 12:33:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Latino Conservation Week 2018</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jul18/latino-conservation-week-2018.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180716-latino-conservation-week-collage-1200.jpg" alt="collage of photos of jennifer damian, olivia bravo, gonzalo cid, and alexandra avila"/>
July 14-22, 2018 marks Latino Conservation Week, a time to support the Latinx community getting into the outdoors and participating in activities to protect our natural resources. To celebrate this week, we're highlighting four current and former Office of National Marine Sanctuaries staff members and volunteers. Read on to hear their stories and how they connect to the ocean!]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 20 Jul 2018 12:29:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Congratulations to the 2018 Dr. Nancy Foster Scholars!</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jul18/congratulations-2018-dr-nancy-foster-scholars.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180711-new-scholars-640.jpg" alt="carina fish, kathryn hewett, and grace casselberry"/>
NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has selected three graduate students as recipients of the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship, representing graduate-level areas of study such as marine biology, oceanography, and maritime archaeology. The scholarship recognizes outstanding graduate students and encourages independent research, particularly by female and minority students.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 11 Jul 2018 12:31:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Reaching out and diving deep: Foster Scholar Alexandra Avila shares what lies beneath the waves</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jul18/foster-scholar-alexandra-avila-researches-rockfish.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180710-alex-avila-rockfish-640.jpg" alt="alexandra avila holds a rockfish"/>
You may not know it when you dive into a sanctuary, but there are baby fish everywhere. Newly-hatched fish, or larvae, are microscopic and at the whim of ocean currents. It’s possible that via these currents, larvae populations throughout different parts of the ocean could be connected. But are these currents strong enough to connect populations of fish hundreds of miles away — like those in Oregon and Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary in Washington? Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar and Oregon State University Ph.D. candidate Alexandra Avila wants to find out.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 10 Jul 2018 12:27:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Students take a stand against marine plastic pollution by adopting zero waste practices</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jul18/students-for-zero-waste-week-2018.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180703-lafayette-elementary-zww-640.jpg" alt="young students sorting trash"/>
What can we do on land to better protect marine environments and the organisms that inhabit them? This past spring, students from across the nation sought to answer this question by participating in the sixth annual Students for Zero Waste Week campaign.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jul 2018 12:26:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries teams up with E/V Nautilus</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/nautilus18/</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180626-nautilus-launch-640.jpg" alt="rov hercules being launched over the side of a ship"/>
This summer and fall, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is teaming up with Ocean Exploration Trust to explore the marine ecosystems of the West Coast and Hawai‘i. Working aboard the Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus, scientists will map and explore targets throughout the U.S. West Coast from Canada to Southern California, and west to the Hawaiian Islands and Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jul 2018 12:24:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Research raises possibility that Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is part of manta ray nursery</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jun18/fgbnms-identified-as-juvenile-manta-ray-nursery.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180618-manta-underside-640.jpg" alt="the underside of a manta ray"/>
Oceanic manta rays are graceful, almost magical creatures: these relatives of sharks swim through the water as if in flight, circling in search of tiny zooplankton. They can grow to be enormous, with some reaching 22 feet from fin-tip to fin-tip. Relatively little is known about them – including where they spend their early years. But Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar Joshua Stewart has an answer to the question of where some young mantas go: Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 20 Jun 2018 12:22:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Kīlauea eruption brings NOAA and the National Park Service together</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jun18/kilauea-brings-noaa-national-park-service-together.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov//media/img/20180607-kilauea-eruption-640.jpg" alt="an ashy plume rises from kīlauea"/>
Since May, Hawai‘i’s Kīlauea volcano has been erupting, accompanied by strong earthquakes, intense lava flows, and smoke and ash. To help support communities affected by the eruption, NOAA’s Mokupāpapa Discovery Center is stepping up.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 07 Jun 2018 12:20:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Coral CSI: Foster Scholar Andrea Kealoha analyzes water chemistry for clues about invertebrate mortality events</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may18/coral-csi-foster-scholar-andrea-kealoha.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180530-andrea-640.jpg" alt="andrea kealoha and other researchers on a small boat"/>
Swimming through hazy, green waters in the Gulf of Mexico in 2016, divers knew something was off at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. That’s when they noticed the vast quantities of dead marine organisms around them, and curious white mats covering the corals. One area of this pristine sanctuary was no longer teeming with life. When marine organisms die suddenly and no one knows why, that’s when you need a dedicated group of scientists for a special episode of Coral CSI.]]></description>
<pubDate>Sat, 02 Jun 2018 12:18:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>World War I on the homefront</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may18/world-war-i-on-the-homefront.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180525-uboat-attack-illustration-640.jpg" alt="illustration showing a german submarine attacking an american merchant ship"/>
One hundred years ago, German U-boats lurked beneath the waves off the coast of North Carolina, bringing World War I home to the United States. Few Americans believed that German Unterseeboots would be able to traverse the Atlantic to reach our shores – but they were wrong. By the end of World War I, German submarines known as U-boats had managed to sink 10 vessels off North Carolina alone, and 200 American ships in total. This summer, North Carolina will remember the 100th anniversary of these historic attacks.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 25 May 2018 12:17:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>NOAA and Florida Keys fishing guides collaborate to support a sustainable national marine sanctuary</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may18/blue-star-fishing-guides-florida-keys.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180514-tarpon-fishing-640.jpg" alt="an angler reels in a tarpon in florida keys national marine sanctuary"/>
With thousands of people each year fishing in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary waters, charter captains and guides play a critical role in protecting and managing fisheries within the sanctuary. Captains and guides have extensive knowledge of the ecosystem on which the Keys economy is built. With that in mind, they are uniquely positioned to help educate the public about sustainable fishing best practices and to give insight into how sanctuary fisheries have changed over time.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 May 2018 12:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Birds across the National Marine Sanctuary System</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may18/birds-across-the-nmss.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180425-seagulls-landing-on-humpback-whale-640.jpg" alt="seagulls landing on humpback whale"/>
The birds that visit and reside in the National Marine Sanctuary System connect our country's ocean, Great Lakes, and coasts. From sea to shining sea, join us on this interactive tour of birds in our nation's ocean parks.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 May 2018 12:09:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Pacific Islander/Asian American Heritage Month</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may18/pacific-islander-asian-american-heritage-month-in-nms.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180423-kids-swimming-in-nmsas-640.jpg" alt="children swimming under water"/>
Throughout May, we celebrate the achievements and contributions of Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans to our ocean, maritime traditions, and sanctuary communities.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2018 12:05:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Whale hello there: Foster Scholar Angela Szesciorka tracks whale behavior near ships</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr18/foster-scholar-angela-szesciorka-tracks-whales-near-ships.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180426-whale-tagging-permit15271-640.jpg" alt="researchers in a small boat tag a whale"/>
Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar Angela Szesciorka’s research sounds simple enough. For her Ph.D. at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, she studies the impact of shipping on blue, humpback, and fin whales throughout the four national marine sanctuaries off of California – Channel Islands, Monterey Bay, Greater Farallones, and Cordell Bank. She figures out where the ships go, then figures out where the whales go, and sees how they intersect.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2018 12:03:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Promoting conservation and stewardship to diverse audiences through the National Marine Sanctuary System</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr18/promoting-conservation-and-stewardship-to-diverse-audiences-through-education.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180423-rov-students-640.jpg" alt="students lean over the edge of a pier to launch rovs"/>
Protecting treasured places in the ocean and Great Lakes like national marine sanctuaries takes a whole network of people working together. When all communities, including underserved and diverse communities, can learn about and access the natural, cultural, historic, and recreational value of national marine sanctuaries, we can help these places thrive together. Ensuring that youth of all backgrounds have the opportunity to experience these special ocean places supports future conservation efforts and careers.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 24 Apr 2018 12:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Guardians of the sea: Protecting the ocean together</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr18/noaa-and-coast-guard-protect-ocean-together.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180405-whale-disentanglement-640.jpg" alt="person on a boat attempts to disentangle a whale"/>
Cooperation between NOAA and the Coast Guard actually dates centuries back, not just decades. The Coast Guard, today a modern steward of resources and enforcer of maritime law, has its roots in the Revenue Cutter Service founded in 1790. NOAA, whose mission is the science, service, and stewardship of our ocean and coasts, dates back to the 1807 founding of the Coast Survey.
Today, the partnership between NOAA and the Coast Guard is guided by the 2013 Cooperative Maritime Strategy, which focuses on three main areas: promoting a safe and sustainable marine environment; enhancing regional collaboration; and fostering innovation in science, technology, and youth education. The Coast Guard works with various parts of NOAA in these activities, for example with the Office of Response and Restoration, the Office of Law Enforcement, NOAA Fisheries, and the NOAA Corps, the nation’s smallest uniformed service.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr18/noaa-and-coast-guard-protect-ocean-together.html">Continue reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 12 Apr 2018 10:47:11 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Partnerships Power Efforts to Protect Blue Whales and Blue Skies</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar18/partnerships-power-efforts-to-protect-blue-whales-blue-skies.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180326-aerial-view-of-two-whales-1000.jpg" alt="aerial photo of two blue whales swimming near the surface"/>
Distant islands lift craggy heights toward a blue sky. Below the water, the mixing of warm and cool currents drive a complex and rich ecosystem that supports dozens of species of fish, birds, and marine mammals. At the surface, kayakers, fishing boats, and charter vessels enjoy the water and wildlife. Among them, a massive freighter, a marvel of modern engineering and technology, heads toward the safety of port. Dolphins dance at its bow; overhead, gulls and pelicans swoop and dive above the waves, seeking lunch. Whales breach the surface, take a breath, and return to the depths. Welcome to California's Channel Islands, so productive, so unique, so beautiful, they are protected by a national marine sanctuary, national park, and several state protected areas as well.
The Channel Islands provide a wilderness experience for those who seek it; they also bustle with recreational and commercial activity. Finding innovative ways to protect its resources while supporting important sustainable uses is an ongoing challenge to Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and its partners. Designated in 1980, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary protects approximately 1,470 miles of marine resources surrounding the San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa, and Santa Barbara islands.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar18/partnerships-power-efforts-to-protect-blue-whales-blue-skies.html">Continue reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 12 Apr 2018 10:46:59 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Finding sanctuary for right whales: A Q&A with Dr. David Wiley</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb18/finding-sanctuary-for-right-whales-qa-david-wiley.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180213-entangled-right-whale-640.jpg" alt="underwater photo of a right whale trailing fishing gear"/>
For years, North Atlantic right whales were hunted for their oil and baleen, which devastated the population. For decades now, these whales have been protected under the Endangered Species Act. Despite protections, this critically-endangered whale is in crisis, with only about 450 remaining. 2017 was a particularly devastating year for the North Atlantic right whale, which suffered a four percent population loss.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 28 Feb 2018 13:24:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>African American History Month in National Marine Sanctuaries</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb18/african-american-history-month-in-nms.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180213-nabs-divers-map-wreck-of-city-of-washington-640.jpg" alt="divers mapping a shipwreck"/>
This month, we remember and honor the African American men and women who helped build our sanctuary communities and our maritime nation.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 28 Feb 2018 16:12:25 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>Underwater landscaping: Foster Scholar Lindsay Marks removes invasive seaweeds around Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb18/underwater-landscaping-foster-scholar-lindsay-marks-removes-invasive-seaweed.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180208-lindsay-marks-sargassum-removal-640.jpg" alt="lindsay marks standing in the center of a large pile of seaweed"/>
There’s an invasion beneath the waves at Channel Island National Marine Sanctuary. It’s not an alien invasion — although the invaders themselves are green. Sargassum horneri, an invasive seaweed from Japan, is replacing native algae in the sanctuary since 2009. In the past six years, its abundance has shot through the roof. With this seaweed sprawling over the seafloor, who’s the sanctuary going to call?
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb18/underwater-landscaping-foster-scholar-lindsay-marks-removes-invasive-seaweed.html">Continue reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 08 Feb 2018 08:59:23 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>Under a watchful eye, the coral reefs of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary show signs of resilience</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb18/coral-reefs-of-flower-garden-banks-show-signs-of-resilience.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180206-fgbnms-transect-640.jpg" alt="diver taking photographs of corals"/>
Conducting fieldwork 100 miles offshore can be a challenging task when coordinating people, equipment, and boat operations in a remote location – but this is exactly what Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary scientists do each year to monitor the health of the coral reef in the national marine sanctuary. Since 1989, scientists have analyzed photographs and water quality, tracked stressors on the environment, and evaluated how management techniques are supporting the health of sanctuary ecosystems through annual monitoring expeditions.
2016 was an unprecedented season, with a localized coral and invertebrate mortality event as well as a coral bleaching event occurring within the sanctuary. A Conservation Series report from the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries summarizes fish and seafloor observations and water quality data from long-term monitoring study sites and deep monitoring sites within Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary at East Flower Garden Bank and West Flower Garden Bank. The data shed light on the mortality and bleaching events and show that on the whole, coral communities remain healthy.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb18/coral-reefs-of-flower-garden-banks-show-signs-of-resilience.html">Continue reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 06 Feb 2018 09:36:39 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Educators help students get into their sanctuaries</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jan18/educators-help-students-get-into-sanctuaries.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180131-sbnms-art-contest-winner-640.jpg" alt="drawing of humpback whale and calf"/>
Every day, our educators share the treasures of the National Marine Sanctuary System with the public. We work to engage, inspire, and connect people with these special places and spark wonder in visitors young and old. In 2017, we worked with more than 120,000 students and 4,000 educators.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jan18/educators-help-students-get-into-sanctuaries.html">Continue reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 05 Feb 2018 10:44:39 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>Six victories for the ocean</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jan18/six-victories-for-the-ocean.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180122-blowing-conch-nihoa-640.jpg" alt="native hawaiian cultural practitioner blowing the conch shell trumped with ocean in the background"/>
Forty-five years ago, Congress passed legislation establishing the National Marine Sanctuary System. Today, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries serves as the trustee for a network of America’s most treasured underwater parks. Over the years, we’ve worked collaboratively with diverse partners and stakeholders to promote conservation and stewardship and meet the needs of people and nature.
As we start 2018, we’re looking back at the past year in your National Marine Sanctuary System. Here are just a few of the highlights.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jan18/six-victories-for-the-ocean.html">Continue reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 24 Jan 2018 12:21:49 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>NOAA and partners assess reef, aid recovery following Hurricane Irma</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jan18/noaa-and-partners-assess-reef-aid-recovery-following-irma.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180109-storm_impact_zones-640.jpg" alt="satellite image of the florida keys overlaying hurricane irma storm damage assessments"/>
Within days of Hurricane Irma crossing the Florida Keys on Sept. 10, 2017, NOAA managers and scientists, partner agencies and local organizations launched an unprecedented effort to rapidly assess sections of the reef tract and conduct coral rescue and stabilization. Although a natural process, the widespread nature and strength of the hurricane, combined with the overall conditions of reefs in the region, prompted an aggressive response.
The type of damage and severity varied across the reef and even within assessment sites. In the hurricane's direct path through the Middle and Lower Keys, divers found fracturing and eroding of the coral reef framework. Heavy sedimentation and lingering turbidity slowed recovery and exacerbated preexisting conditions such as coral disease and bleaching. Additionally, high wave energy and choking sands caused unexpectedly high levels of sponge mortality in some locations.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jan18/noaa-and-partners-assess-reef-aid-recovery-following-irma.html">Continue reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 12 Jan 2018 15:50:57 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>Grace, size, and mystery: Foster Scholar Joshua Stewart's work in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary supports manta conservation</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jan18/grace-size-mystery-foster-scholar-josh-stewart-studies-mantas-in-flower-garden-banks.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20180111-divers-with-manta-640.jpg" alt="divers with a manta ray"/>
"I was struck by grace, size, and mystery."
This is how Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar Joshua Stewart describes his first time seeing the subject of his dissertation work, a manta ray. Diving near a shipwreck in the Dominican Republic, he was caught off guard when a manta ray shot up towards the surface. Stewart turned his video camera to the creature, and it mocked him with a belly flash and swam off. Stewart checked his camera. It wasn’t recording, and no one believed his story. But that experience kicked off his interest in this playful gentle giant, and inspired his research in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jan18/grace-size-mystery-foster-scholar-josh-stewart-studies-mantas-in-flower-garden-banks.html">Continue reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 11 Jan 2018 11:37:19 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>The USS Monitor: A feat of naval ingenuity and the first national marine sanctuary</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec17/uss-monitor-feat-of-naval-ingenuity-and-national-marine-sanctuary.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20171222-monitor-blueprint-640.jpg" alt="uss monitor blueprint"/>
Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, located 16 miles off of Cape Hatteras in the Outer Banks, was the first sanctuary to be designated in the National Marine Sanctuary System.
Standing at the edge of the sea near Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, is a moving experience. You first notice the way the sun glistens against the rocky sand the tide has left behind. Sandbars peek from the waves, there one day, gone the next in the ever-changing Outer Banks seascape.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec17/uss-monitor-feat-of-naval-ingenuity-and-national-marine-sanctuary.html">Continue reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 22 Dec 2017 14:49:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>From watching whales to searching for dolphins: Foster Scholar Tammy Silva's scientific career revolves around Stellwagen Bank</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec17/whale-watch-to-dolphin-search-foster-scholar-tammy-silva.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20171213-glider-deployment-640.jpg" alt="scientists deploying a glider"/>
It was the first time anyone had tried listening for dolphins in Massachusetts Bay. Tammy Silva scrolled through sound recordings and spectrograms for months, seeing nothing. Then, she found it. The right kind of squiggly lines and corresponding whistles. She heard dolphins.
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is a known whale paradise. With plenty of food for whales to chow down on and its proximity to Boston and Cape Cod, the sanctuary boasts some of the best whale watching in the nation. Silva herself is an avid whale watcher — growing up near Stellwagen Bank, she would go whale watching in the sanctuary with her family. Those trips are what forged a connection between Silva and Massachusetts Bay.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec17/whale-watch-to-dolphin-search-foster-scholar-tammy-silva.html">Continue reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Dec 2017 17:43:51 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>NOAA names Dr. Rebecca Holyoke as deputy director of Office of National Marine Sanctuaries; Matt Brookhart as acting regional director</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec17/new-deputy-director-and-acting-regional-director.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has selected Rebecca Holyoke, Ph.D. as deputy director, replacing Matt Brookhart, who has been serving in that position in an acting capacity. Mr. Brookhart has been selected as acting regional director for the office's northeast and southeast regions.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec17/new-deputy-director-and-acting-regional-director.html">Continue reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 11 Dec 2017 18:08:13 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Announcing the 2017 Sea to Shining Sea Award winner</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec17/announcing-the-2017-sea-to-shining-sea-winner.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20171207-michelle-and-tracy-640.jpg" alt="20171207-michelle-and-tracy-640" title="Michelle Riley (left) received the award from Tracy Hajduk (right)"/>
For five years, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has recognized outstanding achievement in the fields of interpretation and environmental education by presenting the Sea to Shining Sea Award for Excellence in Interpretation and Education to employees, contractors, and volunteers. The award recognizes demonstrated successes in advancing ocean and climate literacy and conservation through national marine sanctuaries. It also recognizes awardees’ innovation and creative solutions for successfully enhancing the public's understanding of the National Marine Sanctuary System.
<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec17/announcing-the-2017-sea-to-shining-sea-winner.html">Continue reading…</a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 08 Dec 2017 16:04:00 -0500</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>Stories from the Blue: 1400 Dives and Counting</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/stories/2017/emma-hickerson.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20171205-emma-releasing-turtle-1000.jpg" alt="emma releasing turtle"/>
Emma Hickerson knows Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary like the back of her hand. She first dove in the sanctuary as an undergraduate student, and today serves as the sanctuary’s research coordinator. Hickerson has logged hundreds of dives in the Flower Garden Banks and has studied everything from sea turtles to deep-sea ecosystems. This is her story.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 06 Dec 2017 09:54:13 -0500</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>Exploring the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov17/exploring-the-deep-waters-of-gulf-of-mexico.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20171129-dumbo-octopus-640.jpg" alt="dumbo octopus"/>
What lies in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico? Over the next several weeks, you’ll be able to watch dives in real time to find out.
From November 29 to December 21, the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer will be exploring throughout the Gulf of Mexico, including in some areas that are being considered for possible expansion of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Researchers will use the remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer to get up close to the deep-sea ecosystems that make this ocean basin so unique.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 29 Nov 2017 10:53:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Cataloguing the depths of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov17/cataloguing-the-depths-of-monterey-bay-national-marine-sanctuary.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20171127-corals-640.jpg" alt="deep-sea coral"/>
What inhabits the depths of the ocean? Even the most popular sanctuaries like Monterey Bay hold mysteries offshore. Twenty-eight miles beyond the California coast lies Sur Ridge, an underwater feature that is home to a wide variety of marine life. Explorations of this remote rocky structure have shed light on some of its secrets, which have been captured in a new field guide.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 27 Nov 2017 10:51:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Finding history: The discovery of two lost shipwrecks in Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov17/finding-history-two-lost-wrecks-discovered-in-thunder-bay-national-marine-sanctuary.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20171114-choctaw-historical-640.jpg" alt="historical image of the steamer choctaw"/>
Beneath the waves of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary lies an underwater museum. In this section of Lake Huron, nestled up against the shores of northeastern Michigan, are nearly 100 known shipwrecks. These shipwrecks tell the story of the Great Lakes’ maritime history – and this summer, sanctuary researchers found two more.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 14 Nov 2017 10:49:00 -0500</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>What's in your vomit? Foster Scholar Anna Robuck explores contaminants in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov17/whats-in-your-vomit-foster-scholar-anna-robuck-explores-contaminants.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20171107-great-shearwaters-640.jpg" alt="great shearwaters taking flight"/>
Bird vomit is important for Anna Robuck. After a lot of practice as a wildlife rehabilitator, Robuck is now able to deftly flush the stomach contents from a bird. The bird beats a hasty retreat away unscathed, and Robuck is left with a treasure trove of diet information.
As a Ph.D. student at the University of Rhode Island and a Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar, Robuck connects the great shearwater’s diet with emerging contaminants in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Shearwaters are migratory birds that feast on the buffet of forage fish and squid in the Gulf of Maine in preparation for their long migration to islands in the South Atlantic. At Stellwagen Bank, they can be exposed to toxins from Boston’s urban runoff or passing ships. Looking at what shearwaters put into their systems allows Robuck to understand what contaminants are present in the larger ecosystem.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 09 Nov 2017 10:11:46 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>A shared sense of place: Celebrating Native American Heritage Month in sanctuaries</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov17/celebrating-native-american-heritage-month-in-sanctuaries.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20171103-cinms-tomol-640.jpg" alt="chumash members paddle a tomol"/>
In a 1985 column for the New York Times, indigenous author Louise Erdrich asks “[I]f not a shared sense of place, what is it then that currently provides a cultural identity?” She was speaking of our feelings about and attraction to specific landscapes and geographies. For Native Americans, including coastal and island people, this sense of place is not just historical but cultural and spiritual as well, and current generations feel deeply linked to those who came before and those who will follow. As expressed by the Quinault Indian Nation from the Olympic Peninsula: “We are among the small number of Americans who can walk the same beaches, paddle the same waters, and hunt the same lands our ancestors did centuries ago.”]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 03 Nov 2017 16:18:34 -0400</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>2017 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest Results</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/earthisblue/photo-contest-winners-2017.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20171031-portraits-winner-douglas-croft-640.jpg" alt="surfer standing on rocks above waves"/>
Congratulations to all the winners of the 2017 Get Into Your Sanctuary photo contest!
You can check out all the contest entries.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 01 Nov 2017 17:03:52 -0400</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>The seabird steward: A Q&A with Kevin Powers</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/oct17/seabird-steward-q-and-a-with-kevin-powers.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20171030-kevin-powers-headshot-640.jpg" alt="kevin powers"/>
Earlier this year, Kevin Powers was named the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation’s Volunteer of the Year for his work at Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Massachusetts. The award highlights the important role volunteers play in the National Marine Sanctuary System. The national awardee is selected from nominees from each marine sanctuary.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Oct 2017 16:59:00 -0400</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>Embracing pathways to the sea in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/oct17/embracing-pathways-to-the-sea-in-papahanaumokuakea.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20171025-interns-hiialakai-640.jpg" alt="three interns on deck holding up signs that say thank you hi‘ialakai"/>
For 25 days this fall, my world shrunk to 42 people on the 224-foot NOAA Ship Hiʻialakai. I was in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument as a University of Hawai‘i Marine Option Program intern for the 2017 Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program research expedition. The monument encompasses the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, the most remote archipelago in the world. Largely because of its isolation, the monument is teeming with life — it’s just better seen underwater.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 25 Oct 2017 16:57:00 -0400</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>45 Years of America's Underwater Parks</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/oct17/celebrating-45-yrs-of-americas-underwater-parks.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20171023-ocnms-surfers-640.jpg" alt="surfers on a beach at sunset"/>
Forty-five years ago, Congress passed legislation establishing the National Marine Sanctuary Program. Today, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries serves as the trustee for a network of underwater parks encompassing more than 600,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters. The sanctuary system works collaboratively with diverse partners and stakeholders to promote responsible, sustainable ocean uses that ensure the health of our most valued marine ecosystems and drive coastal economies.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 23 Oct 2017 16:56:00 -0400</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>Brightwork: The future of the sanctuary system</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/oct17/brightwork-the-future-of-the-sanctuary-system.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20171023-waves-nmsas-640.jpg" alt="waves over a reef"/>
In nautical terms, brightwork is the upkeep of the metal and sometimes wood parts of a boat and is synonymous with demanding labor. The only certain thing about the future of the National Marine Sanctuary System is that it will require the same hard work and dedication that have built the system so far. In the next five years we’ll be engaging experts and big thinkers both inside and outside of the ocean community to help us contemplate what the sanctuary system must do and be as it approaches its blue centennial in 2072. Let’s look at where the nation and ocean are headed, and share some preliminary thoughts on what America’s ocean parks might need to look like.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 01 Nov 2017 16:53:54 -0400</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>Sanctuary Staff Feature: Hélène Scalliet</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/oct17/a-connection-and-a-calling.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20171019-helene-kayaking-640.jpg" alt="kayaker in white water"/>
I grew up in Belgium, and while I spent all the time I was allowed playing near the water, I wanted to be a writer. My career path took a different turn with a trip to Spain when I was 16, where I scuba dived for the first time. I was awestruck by this magical, otherworldly environment just below the surface, and came back determined to make the ocean my life’s purpose. I found a scuba club in Brussels, and signed up for diving classes in a pool starting that fall, which were arguably much less exciting than a vacation in Spain!]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 01 Nov 2017 16:54:09 -0400</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>Absolute bearing: The sanctuary system at 45</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/oct17/absolute-bearing-the-sanctuary-system-at-45.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20171016-pacific-white-sided-dolphin-640.jpg" alt="pacific white sided dolphin leaping out of the water"/>
We arrive in 2017. The sanctuary system turns 45 this month. We've grown from words on a page to a powerful force for ocean conservation in our communities, nation, and planet. The years of the 2000s and 2010s have been spent on refining our system identity and conservation culture. Today, we have an absolute bearing toward strengthening both even more.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 17 Oct 2017 16:54:00 -0400</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>Call of the wild: Foster Scholar Samara Haver studies sound across sanctuaries</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/oct17/call-of-the-wild-foster-scholar-samara-haver-studies-sound.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The sounds of the ocean are an odd combination of haunting and soothing. From the crash of waves on the beach to the echo of whale songs, it’s tempting to believe putting a shell up to your ear will allow you to access the underwater soundscape whenever you need an escape. Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. But Samara Haver has the next best thing: underwater sound recordings of national marine sanctuaries and national parks.
<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20171012-samara-haver-640.jpg" alt="20171012-samara-haver-640"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 12 Oct 2017 13:42:00 -0400</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>Full and by: The emergence of the sanctuary system in the 2000s and 2010s</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/oct17/full-and-by-the-emergence-of-the-sanctuary-system.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[As one millennium drew to a close and another approached, everyone was worried about Y2K and the impending collapse of our computer infrastructure. I was adulting as I approached my 35th birthday, and the sanctuary program was going full and by (a nautical term meaning making the best speed you can in the direction the wind is taking you), on the verge of emerging as a system. There was a lot happening as ocean parks grew in size, number, and conservation impact.
<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20171010-kayaking-mallows-bay-640.jpg" alt="kayakers on mallows bay"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 13 Oct 2017 17:03:02 -0400</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>Celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month in Sanctuaries</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/oct17/celebrating-national-disability-employment-awareness-month.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[A bolus is the small rounded mass of food and other material coughed up by Laysan albatross chicks. Boluses are collected and dissected as a way to learn more about the diet of this wide-ranging seabird. At the Bolus Dissection Lab at the Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, they’re also used as tools to teach students and visitors about the biology, oceanography, culture, and history of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, protected by Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Some of those visitors are adults with developmental disabilities.
<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20171005-laysan-albatross-and-chick-640.jpg" alt="laysan albatross and chick"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 05 Oct 2017 16:39:00 -0400</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>IMPAC4 celebrates marine protected areas and communities</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/oct17/impac4-celebrates-marine-protected-areas-and-communities.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Twenty years ago, a conference of protected area managers would have focused almost entirely on the health of species and ecosystems in these ocean parks. Today, common sense and social science have both taught us that the well-being of protected areas and local communities and cultures are intertwined.
<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20171004-impac4-opening-ceremony-640.jpg" alt="woman at a podium at left with additional people on stage at right"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 04 Oct 2017 16:36:00 -0400</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>Underway: The Coming of Age of the Sanctuary Program in the 1980s and 1990s</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/oct17/underway-the-coming-of-age-of-the-sanctuary-program.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[In 1980 and 1981, with the designation of four new sanctuaries, the sanctuary program started from scratch in looking at its future, abandoning 1979’s unwieldy and loosey-goosey List of Recommended Areas and its 68 areas. NOAA staff created the the Program Development Plan in 1982, identifying the program’s mission as “the establishment of a system of national marine sanctuaries based on the identification, designation, and comprehensive management of special marine areas for the long-term benefit and enjoyment of the public.” The Program Development Plan described the Site Evaluation List that would serve as the program’s pool for areas of possible sanctuary status. The list was a rigorous effort marked by external review teams, extensive public involvement, and thorough review criteria, and resulted in a list of 29 areas, including a number of sites that would eventually become sanctuaries. The Site Evaluation List would drive the development of the system for the next decade.
<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20171002-juvenile-green-heron-640.jpg" alt="juvenile green heron on a tree branch"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 02 Oct 2017 12:11:00 -0400</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>Blue Peter: The Slow Setting Out of the Sanctuary Program in the 1960s and 1970s</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep17/blue-peter-the-sanctuary-program-in-the-1960s-and-1970s.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[In traditional nautical terminology, a blue peter is the signal flag for the letter P. Flown alone, it means a ship is preparing to sail and everyone needs to hustle on board. In 1972, the United States began to fly the blue peter of ocean conservation. With the passage of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act, the nation signaled it was becoming more serious about its commitment to marine conservation and ocean parks. But the buildup to that event was slow, as would be the progress following it.
<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20170921-fknms-sunrise-640.jpg" alt="sunrise in the florida keys"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 25 Sep 2017 09:35:00 -0400</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>Community through science: Foster Scholar Nissa Kreidler sheds light on deep-sea habitats</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep17/community-through-science-foster-scholar-nissa-kreidler.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Dive under the waves, and you’ll find vast communities of marine organisms. From busy kelp forests to vibrant coral reefs, marine communities rely on each other for food and shelter. Communities and support networks are equally important for graduate students, albeit more difficult to establish at first. The Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program provides just that: a tight-knit community of peers and mentors. It's this sense of togetherness that brought Nissa Kreidler to the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program.
<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20170919-collecting-seagrass-data-in-the-philippines-3-640.jpg" alt="kreidler with a mask and snorkel on"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 20 Sep 2017 09:34:00 -0400</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>Volunteers remove more than two tons of debris and lost fishing gear in Channel Islands beach cleanups</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep17/volunteers-remove-two-tons-of-debris-from-channel-islands.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Over two tons of debris (approximately the weight of a car) has been successfully removed from the shores of Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and National Park over the past six months through a unique partnership between the sanctuary, local commercial lobster fishermen, and National Park Service concessionaires.
<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20170918-cleanup-team-chinese-harbor040717-640.jpg" alt="volunteers on a boat along side trash bags full of marine debris they collected"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 18 Sep 2017 09:33:00 -0400</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>Students lead the zero waste movement by combating marine debris</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep17/students-lead-the-zero-waste-movement.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[What will the overall health of the ocean look like in the future? In response to the overwhelming presence of plastic pollutants in marine ecosystems, students are taking matters into their own hands by raising awareness about this global environmental issue.
From March 20th to April 21st, students from K-12 schools across the nation took part in the fifth annual Students for Zero Waste Week campaign. Ninety-seven schools from 14 different states and territories formally pledged to take the Zero Waste Week Challenge. In doing so, these schools chose one of the five campaign weeks to raise awareness on campus, at home, and in their communities about the negative impacts of single-use plastics and other land-based waste on the overall health of local watersheds, national marine sanctuaries, and the ocean. The campaign's underlying land-ocean connection provides the platform – and motto – for Students for Zero Waste Week: Go Green. Think Blue!
<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20170911-hightechmiddlenorthcounty-640.jpg" alt="aerial shot of students next to a whale built from trash"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Sep 2017 09:27:00 -0400</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>Celebrating National Get Into Your Sanctuary Day</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep17/celebrating-national-get-into-your-sanctuary-day.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[This August, we asked you to Get Into Your Sanctuary -- and you did! Check out some of the highlights here and get some ideas for your next sanctuary adventure.
In National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa, visitors explored the Aunu’u sanctuary area in eco-tour excursions provided by Samriel’s Aunu’u Island Getaway Tours, and fished in sanctuary waters through an expedition offered by the TaeBo Defense Friends of the Sanctuary. The opening ceremony honored High Chief Fonoti Simanu, who was presented with the Sanctuary Volunteer of the Year Award.
<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20170908-giys-boat_tour-1-wisc-640.jpg" alt="a girl at the steering wheel driving a boat"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 07 Sep 2017 09:25:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>A Greater Gray: Students investigate ecological connectivity in national marine sanctuaries</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep17/a-greater-gray-students-investigate-ecological-connectivity-in-sanctuaries.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Like us, marine species need insurance policies. Identifying areas of ecological connectivity and creating a network of properly placed marine protected areas can provide this insurance.
To identify areas ecologically connected to Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, and therefore important for conserving pressured species, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries proposed an ecological connectivity assessment as a master's thesis group project to the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management's class of 2017. To help support effective marine protected areas, we – four students in the Bren School's class of 2017 – worked with Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary to understand how fish species at the sanctuary are connected regionally and how these connections can inform management decisions.
<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20170901-group-photo-big-red-the-fish-bren-hall-640.jpg" alt="adam qian, isabella marill, stephanie gad, and sam furtner"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 05 Sep 2017 09:23:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Paws up for science: Foster Scholar Jessica Hale tracks sea otter habits in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug17/paws-up-for-science-foster-scholar-jessica-hale.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[A Ph.D. student at the University of Washington, Seattle, Hale spends her summers traversing the Olympic Peninsula and observing otters feeding in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Unlike other marine mammals, otters bring their prey to the surface. Perching on cliffs or sea stacks and armed with a telescope, Hale spies on otters as they forage on crabs, clams, urchins, snails — and sometimes — octopuses. She records data such as how much time they spend collecting prey underwater and resting at the surface, and the amount of time it takes them to eat a prey item. Using this information, she wants to understand how otter diet changes over space and time.
<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20170829-mom-and-pup-640.jpg" alt="a mother sea otter and pup"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 29 Aug 2017 09:19:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Enough air in the room: Monitoring hypoxia in Cordell Bank National Marine SanctuaryEnough air in the room: Monitoring hypoxia in Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug17/monitoring-hypoxia-in-cordell-bank-national-marine-sanctuary.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Suck all the oxygen out of a room and it's impossible to breathe. In the ocean, reduction of oxygen can also be a major problem -- so scientists in Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary are working to track and understand hypoxic conditions.
In extreme cases, hypoxia, or low-oxygen conditions, can cause die-offs of fish, shellfish, corals, and other organisms, which, like us, require oxygen to survive. More commonly, animals may experience physiological stress in low oxygen conditions. Animals may also avoid areas that are prone to hypoxia, reducing biodiversity.
<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20170828-db_cbnms_20131017_CB3_038-640.jpg" alt="Hundreds of rockfish swim over Cordell Bank"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Sep 2017 09:23:12 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>New Toolkit Helps Students and Teachers in the Fight Against Marine Debris</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug17/toolkit-helps-students-and-teachers-fight-against-marine-debris.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Located in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument protects the most remote region of the most remote archipelago on Earth. Though no one lives here, its shores have a lot in common with urban streets: you can find discarded fast food wrappers, plastic straws, lighters, fragments of styrofoam, and more. This scene is not unique to Papahānaumokuākea: each year thousands of tons of marine debris make their way to marine sanctuaries and monuments and threaten aquatic ecosystems.
<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20170823-papahanaumokuakea-marine-debris-cleanup-640.jpg" alt="person cleaning up marine debris on the beach next to a laysan albatross chick. they are surrounded by marine debris"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 24 Aug 2017 09:14:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Meet the 2017 Hollings Scholars!</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug17/2017-hollings-scholars.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Each year, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries hosts several undergraduate Hollings scholars at sites across the National Marine Sanctuary System. Working with sanctuary staff, these students gain practical training experience through NOAA-related science, research, technology, policy, management, and education activities. The scholarship program is designed to prepare students for careers as environmental scientists and educators, and to increase public environmental and ocean literacy. With such crucial goals, it's no wonder that the scholarship attracts some stellar students -- and we're excited to introduce you to this year's cohort!
<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov//media/img/2017-hollings-group-photo-640.jpg" alt="2017 hollings scholars posing for a photo"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 15 Aug 2017 09:10:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Standing Up for the Great Lakes – and Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug17/standing-up-for-the-great-lakes.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[In June, the three buddies from Michigan undertook an epic paddleboarding expedition, traveling almost 90 miles across Lake Huron to raise awareness and money for Great Lakes protection and Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Located in northwestern Lake Huron, the sanctuary protects one of America's best-preserved and nationally-significant collections of shipwrecks.
<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20170817-sup_leavingshore_tbnms_gandulla-640.jpg" alt="Joe Lorenz, Jeff Guy, and Kwin Morris paddleboarding"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Aug 2017 09:12:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Eight Fantastic Places to Paddle in Your National Marine Sanctuary System</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug17/eight-fantastic-places-to-paddle-in-your-national-marine-sanctuary-system.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[For those who love nature and outdoor activities, the National Marine Sanctuary System offers exciting adventures. Whether it's paddling on the waves, reeling in salmon, exploring tide pools, or admiring wildlife, there is no more spectacular place to enjoy the ocean and Great Lakes and the outdoors. Canoeing, kayaking, and paddleboarding provide participants with a unique, interactive avenue to experience all that national marine sanctuaries have to offer! Each site invites a new adventure, with paddling opportunities readily available and accessible from shore at most sanctuary locations for all skillsets.
<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/img/20170808-tbnms_supsunset_gandulla-640.jpg" alt="Stand-up paddleboarders enjoy a sunset at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Aug 2017 09:07:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Listening for History: Exploring Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary with Sound</title>
<link>https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jun17/listening-for-history-exploring-tbnms-with-sound.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[How do you find a shipwreck in a 23,000-square-mile lake? For researchers, it can be like finding a needle in a haystack. This spring, researchers in Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary undertook the second phase of a research expedition to find lost shipwrecks within sanctuary waters in Lake Huron. From May 15 through 26, they used acoustics to explore deep water areas off Presque Isle.
<img src="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jun17/tbnms-monitoring-640.jpg" alt="University of Delaware researchers monitor incoming survey data from R/V Laurentian's science lab"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 27 Jun 2017 09:05:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Vanguards: Sanctuary Gateway Communities as Destinations for LGBT Travelers</title>
<description><![CDATA[Americans love to travel, whether it’s packing up the car for a classic road trip, boarding a cruise ship to tropical islands, or jetting off to exotic locales. We kick off our shoes, set aside (mostly) our electronics, and let down our hair. It’s a time to relax, to have fun, to be ourselves in a way that’s sometimes hard in our busy daily lives. But there’s been a segment of the American population that, until relatively recently and still not completely, hasn’t been able to comfortably share who they are and whom they love while traveling. Like other travelers, LGBT travelers seek a genuine welcome and an authentic experience—and many LGBT visitors find those things in our sanctuary gateway communities.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jun17/golden-gate-640.jpg" alt="golden gate bridge covered in fog"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 26 Jun 2017 10:32:42 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Earth Is Blue Magazine Vol. 2</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/magazine/2/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Dive deep into your National Marine Sanctuary System with this year's edition of Earth Is Blue Magazine!
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/magazine/2/img/surfers-beach-ocnms-640.jpg" alt="surfers walking on the beach at sunset"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Disentangling Giants: Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Combats Unintended Catch</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jun17/disentangling-giants-hihwnms-combats-unintended-catch.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Despite several coastal states, including California, implementing gear recovery programs in recent years to promote retrieval of derelict nets, tons of debris remains in our sea. Carried on ocean currents, fishing debris can travel across the globe. Wherever it goes, this traveling debris can entangle marine life like humpback whales.
To combat the threat of entanglement, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and our partners have been working to remove marine debris and disentangle trapped animals. Over the years, "the efforts have gotten more organized and coordinated," says Ed Lyman, resource protection and response coordinator at Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Just this spring, community members completed a successful disentanglement off of Maui, Hawai'i with the help of an unexpected partner all the way from the East Coast!
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jun17/entangled-whale-640.jpg" alt="whale with its tail entangled in fishing line"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 06 Jun 2017 10:11:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>The Seabird Protection Network Finds Allies in the Sky</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may17/seabird-protection-network-finds-allies-in-the-sky.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[In 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the Wright brothers changed the world forever by building the world’s first airplane, a "flying machine" that flew 120 feet before falling back to Earth. The brothers took their inspiration from birds, studying the physics of flight to engineer their flying machine. A century later, in an ironic twist, birds—especially seabirds—have become vulnerable to disturbance from the very machines they inspired.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may17/steven-coutches-640.jpg" alt="a pilot stands in front of a P51H Mustang"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 31 May 2017 07:42:46 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Celebrating Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month in Sanctuaries</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may17/celebrating-asian-pacific-american-heritage.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[From the Pacific Islands to the mainland, we are a maritime nation, protected, shaped, and dependent upon our ocean. We are a people that rejoice in our ocean, a nation that, while it still has much work to do, has laid strong foundations to protect our waters. This month, as we celebrate Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, we recognize and honor the contributions of the Native Hawaiian, Samoan, and other Polynesian peoples to our marine conservation approaches. These traditions are at the very heart of who we are and what we do as the National Marine Sanctuary System.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may17/hawaii-640.jpg" alt="Local canoe club members lead a cultural protocol at Kalepolepo Beach Park in Kīhei, Maui."/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 25 May 2017 14:53:09 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Citizen Scientists Track Sanctuary Seabirds</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may17/citizen-scientists-track-sanctuary-seabirds.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Off the coast of Massachusetts in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, December is a chilly time of year. But it's also a perfect time to track seabirds, which in turn can help sanctuary researchers monitor ecosystem health.
Now in its seventh year, the Stellwagen Sanctuary Seabird Stewards (S4) program is building a database that will help sanctuary managers identify long-term population trends for sanctuary seabirds and provide information on the health of the larger ecosystem as well. Seabirds follow their food sources, including fish, and tracking birds can help researchers assess water quality and resource availability. Since seabirds are much easier to spot than some other keystone species in the sanctuary, they are an excellent barometer of change in the environment. By tracking seabirds, scientists can better understand changes that affect important recreational and commercial fish species such as Atlantic cod and halibut, as well as the sand lance that many birds, fish, and whales eat.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may17/corys-shearwater-1000.jpg" alt="A Cory's shearwater catches a sand lance."/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 18 May 2017 12:16:41 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Getting a Bird's-Eye View of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may17/getting-a-birds-eye-view-of-thunder-bay-national-marine-sanctuary.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The waters within Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary have claimed at least 200 shipwrecks over the centuries. The sanctuary protects one of our nation's best-preserved and nationally-significant collections of shipwrecks, but roughly half the ships lost in sanctuary waters have never been located. This spring and summer, researchers are searching for some of these missing shipwrecks -- and they've just finished the first phase of their search. To find shipwrecks in shallow, unnavigable waters, they've turned to an unconventional marine survey tool: unmanned aircraft systems.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may17/phase_1_uas_8-1000.jpg" alt="uas pilot controlling a uas in the background"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 17 May 2017 15:50:44 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>New Virtual Dive Gallery Puts National Marine Sanctuaries at the Tip of Your Fingers</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may17/virtual-dives.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Can't get to your national marine sanctuaries? Thanks to the wonders of 360-degree photography and virtual reality, these underwater treasures now are as close as the tip your fingers. NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has launched a virtual dive gallery, complete with immersive 360-degree views of five national marine sanctuaries: American Samoa, Florida Keys, Flower Garden Banks, Gray's Reef, and Thunder Bay.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may17/p_gr_spade-school-640.jpg" alt="school of atlantic spadefish"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 11 May 2017 12:13:52 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>We Need the Ocean</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may17/we-need-the-ocean.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[As a Samoan, the ocean means so many things to me. The ocean is my escape. It's where I can go to clear my mind and refocus on things. The ocean is also my provider. From it, I can ensure my family and my community are taken care of. Most importantly, the ocean is my responsibility. As a Samoan chief and a leader in my community, it is my responsibility to ensure that I do my part to protect it. I grew up in and around the ocean, I was always taught to respect it and all it has to offer, and this is something I want to share with those around me.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may17/peter-guests-640.jpg" alt="peter in the background talking to two guest in the forground"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 01 May 2017 12:11:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Strength in Numbers: Building Community Investment in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr17/strength-in-numbers-building-community-investment.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Spanning from Marin to Cambria, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary encompasses 6,094 square miles offshore of central California. Running along almost one-quarter of California's coastline, the sanctuary protects one of the richest, most diverse marine environments in the world. Wave-swept beaches, lush kelp forests, rugged tide pools, and one of the deepest underwater canyons in North America are just a few of the habitats found within the sanctuary. The varied habitats provide food and shelter for 34 species of marine mammals, more than 180 species of seabirds and shorebirds, at least 525 species of fish and 31 phyla of invertebrates, four species of sea turtles, and more than 450 species of marine algae.
As remarkable as the numbers of inhabitants are, even more impressive is the number of volunteers that engage in sanctuary research, citizen science, and education programs. Over 450 active volunteers serve as the eyes and ears for the health of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. These volunteers support sustainable public use and help sanctuary managers protect the sanctuary's resources. They monitor water quality, restore habitat, conduct beach surveys, serve on the sanctuary's advisory council, monitor wildlife, interpret shoreline resources for the public, and educate the public at the sanctuary's visitor centers.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr17/team-ocean-2016-at-cannery-row-by-g-stewart-640.jpg" alt="volunteers on kayaks in the water"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 28 Apr 2017 11:57:25 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Exploring the Deep Coral Gardens of Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr17/exploring-deep-coral-gardens-of-cinms.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Located off the coast of Southern California, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary protects remarkable biodiversity, productive ecosystems, and sensitive species and habitats. But more than a quarter of this ocean treasure remains unmapped and little-explored. This month, a research expedition will change that.
Throughout April and May, a team of NOAA-led researchers will explore the sanctuary's deep seafloor environment. Deep-sea environments like those in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary provide nurseries and habitat for commercially-important species such as lobster, squid, and sea urchins. Some deep coral reefs may also produce chemicals that could be key to the next generation of medicines. However, these habitats are under threat. The two-week cruise on board the NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada will shine a light on how these ecosystems are impacted by a variety of stresses facing them, such as ocean acidification.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr17/bell-m-shimada-640.jpg" alt="sunset on the deck of the bell m. shimada, two scientist work on a water collection device next to the rov"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 27 Apr 2017 16:06:29 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>It Takes A Community</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr17/it-takes-a-community.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The favorite nickname of Key West, Florida is "The Conch Republic." Alpena, Michigan hosts the annual Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival and Port Angeles, Washington, the annual Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival. San Francisco wanders down to meet its bay and Boston bustles in its harbors and ports. Honolulu means "sheltered harbor" in Hawaiian and Olema, California comes from a Miwok word meaning "little coyote." What do all these American communities have in common? Though they differ vastly in setting, size, and character, all of these municipalities share the distinction of serving as gateway communities to national marine sanctuaries.
Gateway communities are the towns and cities adjacent to a park. They serve as welcome areas, providing lodging and dining choices, offering other tourism options and outdoor recreation outfitters, and generally enhancing the visitor experience. For national marine sanctuaries and other ocean parks, gateway communities may also provide some of the main public access points to the sanctuary, via beaches, piers, and boat ramps.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr17/coastfest-canoes-640.jpg" alt="native american cannoes in a line as the people aboard wait to paddle"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 26 Apr 2017 14:04:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Community Engagement in the National Marine Sanctuaries - PART 2: Citizen Science</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr17/community-engagement-in-sanctuaries-citizen-science.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Did you know you don't have to be a trained scientist to contribute to the understanding of our ocean and Great Lakes?
Citizen science provides integral support for many national marine sanctuary projects. Across the National Marine Sanctuary System, citizen scientists actively participate in various facets of marine conservation, including collecting data to assess the health of shoreline ecosystems, and monitoring marine wildlife. There are opportunities for diverse interests and skills, and this brigade of community members makes our conservation work possible.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr17/student-water-monitoring-collection-640.jpg" alt="a student collects a water sample in a test tube"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 25 Apr 2017 15:10:08 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>For Humpback Whales in Sanctuaries, Public Involvement Counts</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr17/for-humpback-whales-in-sanctuaries-public-involvement-counts.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The humpback whale has long been a symbol of strength and connectedness. It is fitting, then, that an exciting project developed by Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary connects scientists and the public. The project, called the Sanctuary Ocean Count, offers community members an incredible opportunity to observe and assist in monitoring humpback whale populations from the Hawaiian shore. 
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr17/humpback-whales-640.jpg" alt="whale and calf"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 14 Apr 2017 15:11:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>History Meets Technology in Shipwreck Alley</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr17/history-meets-technology-in-shipwreck-alley.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The vast stretches of cold, fresh water in the Great Lakes hide the stories of thousands of ships that wrecked in our nation’s inland seas. Historical records indicate more than a hundred shipwrecks have yet to be discovered in Lake Huron’s Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and research teams hope to discover more this summer.
From April through August, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary will lead four different teams using advanced technologies to push the boundaries of underwater archaeological survey and seek yet-to-be-discovered shipwrecks within the sanctuary.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr17/portland-640.jpg" alt="a diver swims over a shipwreck"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 11 Apr 2017 10:00:22 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Join Us and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation for CHOW 2017</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr17/join-us-for-chow-2017.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW), the premier ocean policy conference in the United States, debuts at its new venue, the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, on June 13-15, 2017. Join us!
This year, CHOW will feature engaging conversations with opinion leaders from across the country, and around the world, to examine pressing ocean issues. CHOW's three themes this year are: (1) Conservation from the Local to the National; (2) Science, Technology, and Exploration; and (3) Health and Social Impacts.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr17/capitol-building-640.jpg" alt="the U.S. Capitol Building"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 05 Apr 2017 11:58:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Eight Amazing Things that Happened Across Your National Marine Sanctuary System This Year</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr17/eight-amazing-things-in-sanctuaries.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[As we look forward to celebrating our 45th anniversary this year, we're reflecting on recent events. From education programs, tourism, and recreation, to scientific investigations, incredible things happen in your National Marine Sanctuary System. Here are just a few highlights from the past year.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr17/monk-seal-beach-640.jpg" alt="a Hawaiian monk seal relaxes on a beach"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 04 Apr 2017 09:57:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Ocean Guardian Schools: Action-Based Environmental Education for Science and Stewardship</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr17/ocean-guardian-schools.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[A healthy ocean starts with all of us, and through the Ocean Guardian School Program, students are showing that they too, can make a big difference for the ocean. Students, parents, and teachers: you can get your school involved to foster ocean literacy and environmental stewardship. Applications for the 2017-18 school year are being accepted until May 1, 2017, so sign up soon!
Ocean Guardian School grants are awarded annually to fund hands-on school- or community-based projects that make a difference for the health of the ocean and local watersheds, while teaching stewardship values. The grants, which range from $1000 to $4000, are supported by the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, in coordination with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. The program originated in 2009 with 11 schools in California, and has grown since then to directly include over 40,000 students across 84 schools. Information about the grant process is available on the Ocean Guardian website.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr17/jc-parks-elementary_indian-head-md_fishreleasepotomac-640.jpg" alt="students with nets collecting samples near the shore"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 02 Apr 2017 09:53:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Sanctuary Staff Feature: Kelly Drinnen - Hooked!</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar17/hooked.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[As an education specialist, I talk to all different kinds of groups and they almost always want to know if I'm a marine biologist. My answer -- that my degree is in Spanish with a minor in mathematics -- usually raises a few eyebrows. After college, I worked in the computer field, first in software testing, then in software/hardware resale. Winter weather brought me to my ocean career.
Having grown up in the northeast and not tolerating cold very well, my goal after college was to head south. When an opportunity came along for me to move to Orlando, Florida, I took it. While I was looking for that next computer-related job, I answered an ad for a tour guide at SeaWorld. I thought that would be something fun to do until I found a "real" job. I'd always loved ocean stuff, but had never considered it a career option.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar17/duoy-gummy-worm-activity-640.jpg" alt="kelly drinnen leading an activity"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 17 Mar 2017 09:51:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Sanctuary Staff Feature: Jennifer Stock - Follow Your Bliss</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar17/follow-your-bliss.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[I grew up on Long Island, where the Great South Bay, Long Island Sound, and Atlantic Ocean were my playground. The time my family spent with me there shaped my deep love for salt water. The changing tides, the height of the waves and water level, the grain of the pebbly sand, the late afternoon sunburns and sunsets are in my blood. My early years playing as a kid fueled my curiosity about the natural world and led me on my path to become an education coordinator for NOAA's Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary.
I was inspired by my early years as an interpretive ranger at Fire Island and Assateague Island national seashores to keep sharing my curiosity and love for our blue planet. Then, landing in the west, I taught at a camp on California's Catalina Island. When I wasn't teaching hands-on marine science, I was exploring with my fellow ocean-loving colleagues to experience as much as possible in this island-living situation. The thrill of witnessing flying fish at night, swimming in bioluminescence, diving through kelp, and so much more deepened my connection to and love for the ocean.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar17/cbnms_20160315_jls_011-640.jpg" alt="Jenny Stock teaching 4th graders on an Every Kid in a Park field tripat Bodega Head"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 15 Mar 2017 09:50:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Celebrating Women's History Month in Sanctuaries: Pioneering Female Scientists</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar17/women-history-month-sanctuary-pioneering-female-scientists.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[It's a dark cold night in the early 1830s in Nantucket, Massachusetts. On one house's widow's walk, a father and daughter, bundled against the cold, are studying the night sky, stars, and seas, armed with telescope and sextant. When the whalers leave port next time, passing through what is now Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, bound for distant waters in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic, they will carry the navigational calculations that young Maria Mitchell has provided them.
Facing the social views of her time, Mitchell later wrote: "First, no woman should say, 'I am but a woman!' But a woman! What more can you ask to be?" She and other pioneering female scientists are the intellectual ancestors of thousands of American women today working in STEM fields: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In the National Marine Sanctuary System, about half of our sanctuary research coordinators are female, as are other members of our science team, working as socio-economists, marine archaeologists, and marine scientists to help achieve our conservation mission.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar17/fgbnms-michellejohnston-diving-1000.jpg" alt="Dr. Michelle Johnston pauses on a research dive in the sanctuary"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Sat, 11 Mar 2017 09:47:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>NOAA and partners release new trap designs to corral invasive lionfish in deep water</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb17/sanctuary-scientist-fights-invasive-lionfish.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[How do you control a harmful invasive species before it damages reef ecosystems? NOAA and its partners have developed and released designs for new lionfish traps that could provide the first realistic means of controlling invasive deep-water lionfish populations and support the development of a lionfish fishery.
Fish traps are currently prohibited in Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic federal waters, and some other areas, without appropriate permits. The two new trap designs, if approved for use in the U.S. or elsewhere, could give fishermen a better way to capture lionfish in deep water, said Steve Gittings, Ph.D., chief scientist for NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and principal designer of the new traps.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/conservation/lionfish-trap.gif" alt="animated gif of a lion fish swimming into one of the new traps and the trap closing"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 01 Mar 2017 11:52:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>For I Knew a Ship from Stem to Stern</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb17/for-i-knew-a-ship-from-stem-to-stern.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[In 1838, at about 20 years of age and with two escape attempts already behind him, Frederick Douglass was working as a caulker in the Baltimore shipyards, pounding hemp into the seams of wooden ships and pouring hot pitch to make them waterproof. It was tedious and difficult work, but would help him in two ways: first, handing over his wages to his owner would drive him to try for a last, successful escape to freedom, and second, his intimate knowledge of ships and sailing would help him in that escape. In September of that year, he boarded a train carrying borrowed papers from a free African-American sailor and dressed in mariners' clothing. "My knowledge of ships and sailor's talk came much to my assistance, for I knew a ship from stem to stern, and from keelson to cross-trees, and could talk sailor like an old salt," he wrote in his memoirs in 1882. Some strategy, luck, and "kind feelings…towards those who go down to the sea in ships" helped him reach New York, and freedom, a day later. He would spend the rest of his long life—agitator, author, diplomat, orator—fighting on behalf of freedom and equality for African-Americans.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb17/3b14426u-450.jpg" alt="ship builders standing on a plank attach the hull of a ship, a cannon is being raised"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 21 Feb 2017 16:59:37 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>How Recreation Bolsters Local Economies along the Olympic Coast</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb17/how-recreation-bolsters-local-economies-along-olympic-coast.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[It's February! And in the month of love we may hear folks wax poetic about long walks on the beach. But those strolls along the coast have a far greater impact than you might expect -- in national marine sanctuaries, beach visitors can help support resilient coastal communities. In fact, each year visitors to national marine sanctuaries fuel millions of dollars into local economies via economic activity associated with tourism and participation in recreational activities. A new study shows that in 2014 alone, visitors to Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary contributed $101.6 million to local economies and supported nearly 1,200 jobs.
<img src="http://beta2.w1.sanctuaries.woc.noaa.gov/news/feb17/ocnms-sunset-davidjrucknoaa-640.jpg" alt="a couple sitting on a log next to a tent watching the sunset over the water"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 17 Feb 2017 16:57:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Exploring the Deep Waters of National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb17/exploring-the-deep-waters-american-samoa.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[What lies in the deep waters of National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa? Over the next several months, you'll be able to watch dives in these unexplored waters in real time to find out.
From February 16 through March 2, and from April 4 through 21, the NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer will be exploring in and around National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa and Rose Atoll Marine National Monument. In February, using the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Deep Discoverer, scientists will be able to get up close with some of the deep-sea environments that make this sanctuary so unique. And in April, 24-hour mapping operations will help scientists better understand the geography of the region.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb17/1605rovsunrise-640.jpg" alt="two member of the oceans crew prepare an rob on deck"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 16 Feb 2017 16:03:45 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Community Engagement in National Marine Sanctuaries - PART 1: Volunteering</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb17/community-engagement-in-sanctuaries.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[National marine sanctuaries rely on volunteers like you! Volunteering is one way to explore our nation's underwater treasures while doing your part to ensure a healthy ocean and Great Lakes. Whether once a week or once a year, meaningful opportunities abound for visitors and locals alike with all levels of knowledge and commitment to contribute to marine conservation and stewardship.
When you volunteer with national marine sanctuaries, you join a community of individuals working to strengthen these special places in our ocean and Great Lakes. The diverse skills, knowledge, and support volunteers provide have made a substantive contribution to national marine sanctuaries since the mid 1990s, when the Beach Watch crew at Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary became NOAA's first volunteer program. Since then, the scope of projects taken on by volunteers has expanded to encompass the many goals of sanctuaries, including ocean conservation, maritime heritage preservation, and public education. Volunteer programs continue to grow across the sanctuary system and the total number of hours contributed rises every year.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb17/ozettecrew_karlyn_langjahr-18-640.jpg" alt="group of volunteer posing with the marine debris they collected along the beach"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 14 Feb 2017 16:01:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Describing the Proposed Mallows Bay - Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb17/mallows-bay-potomac-river-proposed-sanctuary-study-area-profile.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[For the first time in two decades, NOAA is in the process of designating new national marine sanctuaries. One such site currently under consideration is the historically-significant Mallows Bay in Maryland’s Potomac River, which was nominated by Governor Martin O'Malley in 2014.
Supported by a broad coalition of community partners, the nomination was put forth with the goal to conserve and better share vast maritime heritage resources with the public. A new report (Mallows Bay-Potomac River Proposed National Marine Sanctuary Study Area Profile of Alternatives 2000 to 2015) accompanies the draft environmental impact statement, which is now on the Federal Register and open for public comment through March 31st.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb17/shipwreck-mallows-bay-mdnr-640.jpg" alt="a kayak examines a wreck in mallows bay"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 2017 15:59:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>A Maritime Economy Past and Present: Socioeconomics of the Proposed Wisconsin - Lake Michigan National Marine Sanctuary National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb17/socioeconomics-of-proposed-wisconsin-lake-michigan-sanctuary.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[For decades, the people of Wisconsin have strived to study, preserve, and interpret their Great Lakes shipwrecks and maritime heritage. In December 2014, Governor Scott Walker took steps to bring federal resources to expand on their efforts. With endorsement from diverse stakeholders and broad community support, an area of Lake Michigan was nominated to become a national marine sanctuary. In coordination with existing museums, trails, and dive sites, the state of Wisconsin and NOAA anticipate that a sanctuary will develop the regional economy while fostering partnerships for education and research.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/wisconsin/wisconsin1-640.jpg" alt="diver swimming over the wreck of the Northerner"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2017 15:58:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Small but Mighty: Understanding Sand Lance in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jan17/sand-lance-stellwagen-bank.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Since its designation in 1992, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary has been one of the world's premier whale watching destinations. Now, scientists are learning that the reason so many whales come to visit has a lot to do with population fluctuations in tiny, eel-like fish called sand lance.
A favorite food of humpback whales, sharks, seals, seabirds, commercial fishes and many other ocean predators, sand lance are small (three to six inches long), wiggly fish that spend their days feeding on zooplankton and their nights burying into sandy seafloor habitats. Sand lance are no strangers to Stellwagen Bank, which offers them relatively shallow waters and a highly suitable sandy bottom for hiding.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jan17/laughing-gull-with-sand-lance_race-point-provincetown-ma-sbnms_peter-flood-640.jpg" alt="laughing gull with sand lance in beak"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jan 2017 15:57:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>NOAA moves to conserve shipwrecks in two new sanctuaries</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jan17/noaa-proposes-two-new-national-marine-sanctuaries.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Public invited to comment on proposals for Mallows Bay - Potomac River and Wisconsin - Lake Michigan national marine sanctuaries beginning Monday, January 9.
In Wisconsin, NOAA is proposing to designate a 1,075-square-mile area of Lake Michigan adjacent to Manitowoc, Sheboygan, and Ozaukee counties. In Maryland, NOAA is proposing a national marine sanctuary along a 52-square-mile stretch of the tidal Potomac River adjacent to Charles County.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jan17/aerial-view-mallows-bay-640.jpg" alt="aerial view of mallows bay"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jan 2017 15:55:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>National Marine Sanctuaries – Value Added for Communities and the Blue Economy</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec16/sanctuaries-blue-economy.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[If you were asked to draw a picture of the U.S. economy, what color would you use? Perhaps green, the color of money? How about the portion of the economy that is supported by our ocean and coasts? BLUE!
Now think about what it feels like to be surrounded by blue seas – perhaps while casting out a line and peacefully waiting to feel the tug of a fish. Do you see that huge ocean liner on the horizon? Ever wonder which U.S. port it’s headed for? That ship, your boat, the fuel you used to get out there, the fishing rod in your hands – it’s all part of the “blue” or ocean economy. Including industries like maritime commerce, offshore mineral extraction, fishing, and coastal tourism, this ocean economy amounts to hundreds of billions of dollars in goods and services, and it supports millions of jobs each year.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec16/lucinda.jpg" alt="photo of a diver and a shipwreck"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 21 Dec 2016 15:52:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Understanding Sanctuary Soundscapes: A Q and A with Carol Bernthal and Sarah Fangman</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/notes/2016/understanding-sanctuary-soundscapes.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[All across the ocean, marine organisms from tiny fish to enormous whales rely on sound and hearing for their survival. But increasing human activity within our ocean over the last century has also meant increasing levels of noise.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/notes/2016/soundscape-orca.jpg" alt="photo of orca breaching"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 07 Dec 2016 16:08:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Announcing the 2016 Sea to Shining Sea Award Winner</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov16/sea-to-shinging-sea-award.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[For four years, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has recognized outstanding achievement in the fields of interpretation and environmental education by presenting the Sea to Shining Sea Award for Excellence in Interpretation and Education to employees, contractors and volunteers. The award recognizes demonstrated successes in advancing ocean and climate literacy and conservation through national marine sanctuaries. It also recognizes awardees’ innovation and creative solutions for successfully enhancing the public's understanding of the National Marine Sanctuary System and the resources it protects. This year, the award is presented to Carolyn Skinder for Public Engagement in Wildlife Viewing.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov16/skinder-640.jpg" alt="Carolyn Skinder guides young naturalists in monterey bay"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 23 Nov 2016 07:30:00 -0500</pubDate>
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</item>
<item>
<title>Birds as Indicators of Ecosystem Health</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov16/birds-indicators-ecosystem-health.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Popular recreational and commercial fishing species such as Atlantic cod, halibut, flounder and monkfish rely on sand lance as a staple of their diets. These forage fish are also on the menus for predators like humpback whales and many kinds of seabirds, including the great shearwater. However, sand lance are moderately vulnerable to changes in ocean and climate patterns, especially warming seas and ocean acidification. "The numbers of these forage fish (sand lance) fluctuate and have been relatively low in the past few years," explains David Wiley, research coordinator for Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Over the past several years, sanctuary scientists have been studying great shearwater populations to better understand the availability of food like the sand lance throughout the sanctuary.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov16/cs-shearwater-640.jpg" alt="great shearwater taking flight"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 09 Nov 2016 14:38:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Exploring World War II's Battle of the Atlantic: PART 2</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov16/exploring-wwii-battle-of-the-atlantic-part-2.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[In August and September, archaeologists revisited the maritime legacy of North Carolina's Outer Banks in a successful effort to explore the remains of a World War II convoy battlefield consisting of two vessels, U-576 (a German submarine) and Bluefields (a Nicaraguan merchant ship that was part of an Allied convoy). A multi-agency interdisciplinary team of researchers embarked upon a productive and rewarding 15-day expedition to visit the wrecks, which sit 40 miles offshore under 700 feet of water, and were successful in their mission to virtually recreate the underwater battlefield. Using manned submersibles the researchers were able to access the sites of both shipwrecks, and caught the first sight of the vessels since the day they sank 74 years ago.
 <img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov16/joe-hoyt-u-576-robert-carmichael-project-baseline-640.jpg" alt="joe hoyt viewing u-576 from a submersible"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 09 Nov 2016 14:33:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>14 Reasons to Love Your National Marine Sanctuaries</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/oct16/14-sanctuary-facts.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Humans have only explored an estimated 5 percent of the world’s ocean. In fact, we know more about the surface of the moon than our own salty seas! Learn more about our sanctuaries and marine national monument.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/oct16/14-reasons-640.jpg" alt="Photo of a manatee"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 26 Oct 2016 16:07:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>NOAA names John Armor as Director of Office of National Marine Sanctuaries</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/oct16/noaa-names-john-armor-director-of-office-of-national-marine-sanctuaries.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced today that John Armor has been selected as Director of NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), our nation's system of underwater parks. Mr. Armor has been acting director since May 2015.
"John brings to this position a dedication to protecting these special places and a great vision for how a system of protected ocean places can impact communities throughout the nation," said Russell Callender, Assistant Administrator for NOAA's National Ocean Service.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 17 Oct 2016 10:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Investigation of East Flower Garden Bank coral die-off continues amid new coral bleaching event</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep16/investigation-of-coral-die-off-continues-amid-bleaching-event.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Scientists continue to explore a broad spectrum of possible causes for July's mass mortality event at East Flower Garden Bank within Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, including environmental conditions and human activities. Meanwhile, their efforts are now complicated by a new but unrelated coral bleaching event, which can happen this time of year when corals are stressed by warmer water temperatures.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep16/bleaching2016_fgbnms_gps_noaa-640.jpg" alt="Scientists documenting the bleaching event underway in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 17 Oct 2016 09:45:26 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>The Biology Bus: A Q&A with Nancy Foster Scholarship Alumna Dr. Nyssa Silbiger</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep16/biology-bus-qa-silbiger.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[For former Nancy Foster Scholar Dr. Nyssa Silbiger and her colleagues Piper Wallingford and Savannah Todd, a camper van is the key. This summer, they’ve packed all their research gear into the Biology Bus and have taken off for their national marine sanctuaries. Together, they’re assessing the impacts of climate change on intertidal marine communities along the West Coast.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep16/biologybus-research2.jpg" alt="Dr. Nyssa Silbiger conducts research on the beach"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2016 12:47:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Scientists discover a new deep-reef Butterflyfish species in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2016/new-butterflyfish-species.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Scientists from the Bishop Museum and NOAA have published a description of a new species of butterflyfish from deep reefs of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The study was published today in the scientific journal ZooKeys.
“Butterflyfish are the glamour fish of the coral reefs,” said Richard Pyle, Bishop Museum scientist and lead author on the publication. “They are colorful, beautiful, and have been very well-studied worldwide. Finding a new species of butterflyfish is a rare event.”
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2016/butterflyfish1.jpg" alt="Pete Basabe’s Butterflyfish (Prognathodes basabei Pyle and Kosaki 2016)"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 06 Sep 2016 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Exploring World War II's Battle of the Atlantic</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug16/exploring-world-war-ii-battle-of-the-atlantic.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[A team of maritime archaeologists from Monitor National Marine Sanctuary is up to the task. Using manned submersibles and underwater robots in partnership with NOAA's Office of Exploration and Research, Project Baseline, the Bureau of Ocean Energy and Management, the University of North Carolina Coastal Studies Institute and SRI International, the team is currently surveying shipwrecks from a World War II battlefield off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug16/boa-news-home.jpg" alt="Project Baseline's Nemo submersible shines its lights on the German submarine U-576 "/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 31 Aug 2016 10:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Papahānaumokuākea Expands, Now Largest Conservation Area on Earth</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug16/president-announced-expansion-of-papahanaumokuakea-marine-national-monument.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Today, President Obama announced that Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, located in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, will expand from 139,818 square miles to 582,578 square miles. That's bigger than the total land area of the state of Alaska -- and makes Papahānaumokuākea larger than any other land or ocean conservation area on Earth.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug16/pmnm-frenchfrigateshoals-deepreef-gregmcfallnoaa-640.jpg" alt="Fishes on a deep reef at Pearl and Hermes Atoll in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 26 Aug 2016 10:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Monuments and Sanctuaries: What's the Difference?</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug16/monuments-and-sanctuaries-whats-the-difference.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Within the National Marine Sanctuary System, you'll find places of hope, inspiration, biodiversity and resilience. The system encompasses more than 170,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters, and contains amazing cultural and historical resources, as well as vibrant ecosystems as diverse as coral reefs and kelp forests.
Our National Marine Sanctuary System comprises 13 national marine sanctuaries and Papahanaumokuakea and Rose Atoll marine national monuments. But what, exactly, is the difference between a sanctuary and a monument?
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug16/fgb_divers_stetson_schmahl-1-640.jpg" alt="Divers explore Stetson Bank in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 26 Aug 2016 15:33:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Wishing the National Park Service a Happy 100th!</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug16/wishing-the-national-park-service-a-happy-100th.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[This week, we join the rest of the nation in wishing the National Park Service, America's best idea, a very happy 100th birthday!
What's little known about the National Park Service is that 88 of its 412 units are coastal, Great Lakes and ocean sites. The National Park System protects island parks like Acadia, Dry Tortugas and Virgin Islands, national seashores like Cape Cod, Padre Island and Gulf Islands, and historic sites like Kalaupapa, New Bedford Whaling and Sitka.
 <img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug16/cbnms-ekip-640.jpg" alt="Students take part in Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary's Every Kid in a Park activities, overlooking Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, close to Point Reyes National Seashore"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Aug 2016 11:48:04 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Scientists Investigate Mysterious Coral Mortality Event at East Flower Garden Bank</title>
<link>http://flowergarden.noaa.gov/newsevents/massmortalityresponsearticle.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Several potential causes of the outbreak are under investigation, but it's most likely a combination of stressors at work.
Although the reefs of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary are normally considered the healthiest in the region, on July 25, sport divers on the M/V FLING, reported green, hazy water, huge patches of ugly white mats on corals and sponges, and dead animals littering the bottom at East Flower Garden Bank, buoy #4.
<img src="http://flowergarden.noaa.gov/img/2016mortalityevent/coralmortality3gps1000.jpg" alt="Close view of a section of reef where about 50-70% of the coral is white instead of its normal color"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 11 Aug 2016 16:21:02 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Restoring the Turret of the USS Monitor</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug16/restoring-the-turret-of-the-uss-monitor.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[How do you restore and conserve an iron turret that spent more than a century on the sea floor? It takes a lot of time and a complicated process. Together, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary and The Mariners' Museum are up to the task.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug16/turret_3-640.jpg" alt="Conservators place the nut guards that were removed onto the anode table"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2016 16:18:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>How did you celebrate Get Into Your Sanctuary days?</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug16/how-did-you-celebrate-get-into-your-sanctuary-days.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[What are some of the best places in the nation to experience the wonder of the ocean and Great Lakes? National marine sanctuaries!
This June, the National Marine Sanctuary System celebrated its second annual national <a href="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/visit/giys.html">Get Into Your Sanctuary days</a>. Check out some of the highlights and get some ideas for your next <a href="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/visit/">sanctuary excursion</a>!
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug16/mbnms-giys-kayak-photo-stout-640.jpg" alt="overhead shot of kayakers getting ready to kayak in monterey bay national marine sanctuary"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 04 Aug 2016 14:58:44 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>NOAA scientists report mass die-off of invertebrates at East Flower Garden Bank in Gulf of Mexico</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jul16/noaa-scientists-report-mass-die-off-of-invertebrates-at-east-flower-garden-bank.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[On Monday, sport divers on the M/V Fling, diving in the Gulf of Mexico 100 miles offshore of Texas and Louisiana, were stunned to find green, hazy water, huge patches of ugly white mats coating corals and sponges, and dead animals littering the bottom on the East Flower Garden Bank, a reef normally filled with color and marine life. The reef, which is part of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, is considered one of the healthiest anywhere in the region. 
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jul16/efgb-mortality-mb4_gps-15-640.jpg" alt="A white mat of unknown material coats a dying sponge"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 29 Jul 2016 16:54:28 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Students Take Action Against Marine Debris by Embracing Zero Waste</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jul16/students-take-action-against-marine-debris-by-embracing-zero-waste.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[How can young people make a difference in the face of marine debris? This spring, students at ninety schools across the nation – from as far and wide as American Samoa, Hawaii, California, Michigan, Texas, Maryland, Massachusetts and the Virgin Islands -- came together to find out.
Between March 21st and April 22nd, these students took part in the fourth annual Students for Zero Waste Week 2016 campaign. Participating schools chose one of the five campaign weeks to focus on reducing land-based waste in attempt to protect the health of marine environments and animals.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jul16/stevenson-rally-640.jpg" alt="Students at Robert Louis Stevenson School in Carmel, California hosted an Earth Day assembly to educate the campus about ways to reduce waste and protect marine life"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 19 Jul 2016 16:17:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Looking for some water-type Pokemon? Check out your national marine sanctuaries.</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jul16/looking-for-water-type-pokemon-check-out-your-sanctuaries.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Perhaps this week you've caught a Rattata (or twenty) walking down the street or a Pidgey wandering through the park. But what's a Pokemon Go player to do when looking for the elusive Tentacruel or Omanyte?
National marine sanctuaries are here for you. While you're out exploring these marine protected areas, you never know if you might find a certain pocket monster.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jul16/ocnms-pokemon-640.jpg" alt="some of the pokemon found at the olympic coast discovery center"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 15 Jul 2016 16:14:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Responding to Coral Bleaching in the National Marine Sanctuary System</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jul16/responding-to-coral-bleaching-in-sanctuaries.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[This article is Part Two of a feature on how coral bleaching will affect the National Marine Sanctuary System. For a primer on coral bleaching, read <a href="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jun16/how-is-coral-bleaching-affecting-sanctuaries.html">Part One</a>.
"How many hits do corals have to take before they don't come back at all?" questioned Superintendent Athline Clark of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in response to a new NOAA outlook predicting extensive coral bleaching through 2016. Across the National Marine Sanctuary System, managers are implementing ecosystem-wide plans to ensure reefs have the best chance at recovery, but keeping our corals healthy in the long run will require a worldwide effort.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jul16/hawaii-bleaching-turtle-640.jpg" alt="green sea turtle swims amongst the bleached coral"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Jul 2016 16:28:48 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>How is coral bleaching affecting national marine sanctuaries?</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jun16/how-is-coral-bleaching-affecting-sanctuaries.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Gliding through the crystal blue seas of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, you glance down into a scene straight out of a kaleidoscope: dazzling yellow and orange parrotfish dart in and out of view, while anemones dance softly in the current. Below, you spot rainbow sponges clinging to corals of emerald, lilac, pink, and…white?
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jun16/article-i-first-image-florida-reefs-640.jpg" alt="panoramic view of a coral reef in florida keys"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 27 Jun 2016 16:25:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>5 Ways to Enjoy the Florida Keys While Protecting the Reef</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may16/5-ways-to-enjoy-florida-keys.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary supports one of the most diverse assemblages of underwater plants and animals in North America. Here are five simple ways you can have a fantastic time visiting the sanctuary and protect it for future generations.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may16/5ways-distance-640.jpg" alt="diver swimming over a reef with fish swimming by"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 06 May 2016 14:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>There is no selfie stick long enough!</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may16/responsible-recreation.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[That new camera update on your phone may be great for snagging photos at the amazing concert coming up, but camera phones and selfie sticks are raising new concerns for animal welfare worldwide.
It may be tempting to approach that elephant seal pup lounging on the beach to snap a stellar selfie, but get too close and you put the animal -- and yourself -- at risk. And while it may seem perfectly harmless to sidle up to a sea turtle that appears to be "hanging out," the few seconds it takes to snap a photo can have a compounded and lasting impact on the life of a wild animal.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may16/harbor-seal-and-pup-640.jpg" alt="harbor seal and pup resting on a rocky shore"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 03 May 2016 11:48:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>How can education help mitigate ocean acidification?</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr16/ocean-acidification.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[This May, Hobart, Tasmania will attract more than 350 scientists to an international symposium about our changing climate and ocean, particularly focusing on ocean acidification. Together, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and Ocean Acidification Program have organized a special outreach session and evening Share-a-Thon to help educators, communicators, and scientists share effective approaches to communicating ocean acidification.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr16/csep-student-oa-activity-640.jpg" alt="NOAA Climate Stewards students participate in a hands-on activity to understand the impacts of ocean acidification"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2016 16:12:50 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>West Coast Marine Wildlife Viewing Experiences You Can't Miss</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr16/west-coast-marine-wildlife-viewing-experiences-you-cant-miss.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Planning to spend your summer seaside? Be sure to include a stop at one of your national marine sanctuaries! Spanning the central California coast, four of our national marine sanctuaries were recently highlighted as some of the best places to view marine wildlife in the world by Brand USA. Greater Farallones, Cordell Bank, Monterey Bay and Channel Islands national marine sanctuaries were all named must-sees.
Whether you're looking for sea lions and white sharks at Greater Farallones, blue and humpback whales at Monterey Bay, or abundant seabirds at Cordell Bank, or you're on a mission for world-class snorkeling in Channel Islands, national marine sanctuaries provide incredible wildlife viewing experiences all year round. Read the full article, 10 West Coast Marine Wildlife Viewing Experiences You Can't Miss, and find inspiration for your next trip!
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr16/tufted-puffin-640.jpg" alt="tufted puffin on water"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Apr 2016 17:08:01 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Stellwagen Bank, Monterey Bay: Best Places to See Aquatic Life</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar16/stellwagen-bank-named-best-place-to-see-aquatic-life.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The results are in: Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary has been named "Best Place to See Aquatic Life" by USA TODAY's 10BEST contest! And Stellwagen Bank isn't the only phenomenal place in the National Marine Sanctuary System to see marine life -- Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary placed a close second.
"On behalf of the aquatic life that reside in Stellwagen and Monterey Bay, and the national marine sanctuary scientists and educators who work to protect critical marine habitat, we're honored that the public has recognized these two sanctuaries as special places for current and future generations to experience the wonders of the ocean," said John Armor, acting deputy director, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar16/humpback-boatsbnms09_jw26-1200.jpg" alt="humpback whale breaching in the foreground as people watch from a boat in the background" title="Each summer, humpback whales migrate to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary to feed"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 01 Apr 2016 17:05:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>The USS Conestoga: "A tangible reminder of who we are as a nation"</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar16/what-does-it-take-to-solve-a-95-year-old-mystery.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[What does it take to solve a 95-year-old mystery? Robert Schwemmer knows the answer.
As the West Coast Regional Maritime Heritage Coordinator for NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), Schwemmer was the co-principal investigator with James Delgado, ONMS Maritime Heritage Coordinator, on the discovery of the USS Conestoga announced earlier this week. This U.S. Navy fleet tug sailed from San Francisco Bay on March 25, 1921 and vanished with 56 men on board.
Robert Schwemmer explains how the ONMS team finally solved this mystery, discovering the wreck and piecing together what happened.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar16/conestoga-port-640.jpg" alt="sea anemones and a octopus on the port side bow of the shipwreck conestoga"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 25 Mar 2016 14:17:44 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Solving a Century-Old Riddle: Discovering the Wreck of the USS Conestoga</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar16/conestoga.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[On March 25, 1921, three years after the end of World War I, the USS Conestoga left Mare Island, California bound for American Samoa. It was never heard from again.
For nearly a century, what happened and where the Conestoga and its 56 crew members came to rest remained a mystery. But now, with the discovery of a shipwrecked fleet tug in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, we’ve solved this mystery: the Conestoga sank just three miles off Southeast Farallon Island within a day of leaving port.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar16/conestoga.jpg" alt="One of the last photos of the USS Conestoga"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 23 Mar 2016 10:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Monterey Bay and Stellwagen Bank Nominated as Favorite Places to See Aquatic Life</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb16/monterey-bay-stellwagen-banks-nominated-as-favorite-places-to-see-aquatic-life.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Monterey Bay and Stellwagen Bank national marine sanctuaries have been nominated by USA Today in their latest 10Best travel award contest! The 10Best panel of experts selected Monterey Bay and Stellwagen Bank as a contenders for <a href="http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-place-to-see-aquatic-life/">Best Place To See Aquatic Life</a>. Both of these sanctuaries are spectacular places to view humpback whales and other marine life!
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb16/humpback-breach-640.jpg" alt="humpback whale breaching"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Mar 2016 17:33:49 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Nancy Foster Scholar Lindsay Marks Takes On Invasive Species</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb16/foster-scholar-takes-on-invasive-species.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The kelp forests of Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary provide shelter and food for hundreds of species of animals and plants, from abalone to sea lions. So how does an invasive seaweed impact this important ecosystem?
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb16/sargassum-landscape-tboyd-640.jpg" alt="under water view of Sargassum horneri around Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 26 Feb 2016 14:31:01 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Don't Worry: The Whales Are Coming</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jan16/tardy-whales.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[You may have heard recently that humpback whales have "gone missing," or are "disappearing" from Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. But never fear! These majestic animals are on their way.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jan16/humpback-and-calf-ed-lyman-noaa-permit-774-1714-640.jpg" alt="whale and calf just below the watar's surface"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 26 Feb 2016 14:28:40 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Coral reefs support 25% of life in the ocean -- but they need our help.</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec15/coral-bleaching.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[But when corals are stressed, they expel photosynthetic algae called zooxanthellae that they need to survive. This is known as bleaching -- because those algae are what give corals their bright colors. Bleaching can happen when water temperature increases, and because our climate is changing, the water throughout the ocean is getting too warm for many coral species.
<img src="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec15/coral4.jpg" alt="coral reef before and after a bleaching event"/>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 26 Feb 2016 14:29:52 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>What ornate reef dweller is sometimes known as the turkeyfish?</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov15/turkeyfish.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The lionfish! When viewed from the right angle, these fishes' ornate fins look like turkey plumage. But don't get too close: these fins are made of venomous spines.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 26 Nov 2015 14:22:31 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>U.S. and Cuba to Cooperate on Sister Sanctuaries</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov15/us-and-cuba-to-cooperate-on-sister-sanctuaries.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Less than a hundred miles south of the reefs and mangrove forests of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary lay the marine ecosystems of Cuba. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2015 08:20:09 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Getting a Clear View of the USS Monitor</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov15/getting-a-clear-view-of-the-uss-monitor.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Faced with the challenge of creating the first detailed and accurate site plan of the USS Monitor, this August NOAA divers turned to photogrammetry, a 3D digital method of making measurements from photographs. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2015 10:15:09 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>NOAA Sanctuaries is on Tumblr!</title>
<link>http://noaasanctuaries.tumblr.com/</link>
<description><![CDATA[See blogs and pictures on the new Tumblr page. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2015 10:15:09 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>Areas in Wisconsin and Maryland identified as possible national marine sanctuaries</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/oct15/proposed-designations.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Today at the 2015 Our Ocean Conference in Valparaiso, Chile, President Barack Obama announced that, for the first0 time since 2000, two new marine areas have been identified by NOAA for possible designation as national marine sanctuaries. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 05 Oct 2015 09:15:09 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Meet the 2015 Hollings Scholars!</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep15/hollings-scholars.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Each year, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries hosts several undergraduate Hollings scholars at sites across the National Marine Sanctuary System. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2015 14:15:09 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>America’s Ship for Ocean Exploration Heads to Hawai'i</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug15/okeanos.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Okeanos is equipped with real-time broadband satellite communications that provide the ship with telepresence -- meaning the video and photos collected with underwater robots known as remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, are shared on the internet in real time. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2015 15:30:09 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>America’s Ship for Ocean Exploration Heads to Hawai'i</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug15/okeanos.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Okeanos is equipped with real-time broadband satellite communications that provide the ship with telepresence -- meaning the video and photos collected with underwater robots known as remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, are shared on the internet in real time. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2015 11:18:09 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Sanctuary Classic</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jul15/sanctuary-classic.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Catch! Click! Release! It’s time for the fourth annual Sanctuary Classic, a free fishing and photo contest that celebrates recreational fishing in America’s national marine sanctuaries.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jul 2015 11:18:09 -0400</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Get Into Your Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jun15/get-into-your-sanctuary.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Are you visiting one of America’s national marine sanctuaries this weekend for Get into Your Sanctuary days? Here are seven tips to make your trip a success without harming any of the amazing creatures that call sanctuaries home.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2015 12:14:09 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Pop quiz: how do you disentangle a 40-ton whale from a tangle of fishing gear?</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jun15/whale-disentanglement.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Each year, thousands of whales, dolphins, porpoises and seals become entangled in marine debris. It’s a lethal event: nets and other debris can actually drown smaller mammals like dolphins and seals, whereas bigger animals, like humpback whales, find their movement restricted and their bodies injured.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 19 Jun 2015 12:50:09 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>5 Awesome Things You Might Not Know About Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may15/cordell-bank.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[This Sunday, Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary celebrated its 26th anniversary. Established in 1989, the sanctuary protects 529 square miles off the coast of California.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2015 12:50:09 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>On the Hunt for Answers: Dr. Michelle Johnston on driving back the lionfish invasion</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may15/lionfish-invasion.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[A highly invasive species, lionfish prey on native species, quickly destroying biodiversity and threatening ecosystems. Since they have a high breeding rate and are not subject to any predators themselves, they thrive and multiply.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 20 May 2015 12:20:15 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Sanctuaries provide safe haven for America's endangered marine species</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may15/endangered-marine-species.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[National marine sanctuaries play an important role in protecting some of America's most valuable marine ecosystems and the species that call these places home. Sanctuaries provide safe haven for orcas, monk seals, white abalone and several species of salmon and sea turtles.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2015 11:15:12 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>6 ways you can help us learn about National Marine Sanctuaries</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr15/citizen-science.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Citizen science is the collection of data by the general public to help scientists answer real-world questions. Citizen science programs engage volunteers in scientific study, such as gathering important data on whale and seabird populations within the sanctuaries. This data is then used for scientific research and to help manage our sites. Around the National Marine Sanctuaries System, many sites offer citizen science programs.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2015 12:15:12 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>NOAA, partners, survey 'amazingly intact' historic WWII-era aircraft carrier</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2015/independence-survey.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA, working with private industry partners and the U.S. Navy, has confirmed the location and condition of the USS Independence, the lead ship of its class of light aircraft carriers that were critical during the American naval offensive in the Pacific during World War II.]]></description>
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<title>NOAA proposes expanding focus, boundaries of Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2015/hi-draft-mgmt-plan-review.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Following extensive collaboration with partners including non-governmental organizations, businesses, scientists, and other members of the community, NOAA today has announced its proposed rule for expanding the size and the focus of Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary to include multiple marine species.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2015 15:23:12 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Doubling Down on California’s Marine Sanctuaries</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar15/california-expansion.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[After more than a decade of community action, scientific research, political effort and public debate, NOAA has announced the expansion of Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank national marine sanctuaries to more than twice their original size, extending their boundaries to encompass this ruggedly beautiful—and ecologically critical—stretch of California's coastal and ocean waters.]]></description>
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<title>It's Payback Time: ONMS releases plan to curtail invasive lionfish</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb15/lionfish.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The lionfish invasion sweeping the waters of the southeastern United States, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico is well-documented. We know what we're up against: hordes of venomous, fast-growing intruders with voracious appetites and no natural predators. So, what can be done to stop the spread of these underwater marauders? 
 
The national marine sanctuaries have a plan.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:53:12 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>Taking Back the Beach: Ocean Guardian Students Battle Invasive Species</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb15/invasive-species.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Aliens have invaded the beaches of California. They're small, green, spiky, and they're everywhere. But these invaders aren't from another planet - just another part of our own. And now, with NOAA's help, one group of students is fighting back.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:52:35 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>The Last Great Airship: USS Macon</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/macon/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Launched by the U.S. Navy in 1933, the airship USS Macon was one of the largest flying machines in history, but after just two years of service, disaster struck.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:56:10 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>How a Civil War Shipwreck Became America's First Sanctuary, 40 Years Ago</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jan15/monitor.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[On a stormy night in December 1862, one of the most famous ships in history vanished into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 30 Jan 2015 12:30:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>Revealing the Secrets of "San Francisco's Titanic"</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec14/city-of-rio.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Now, with the help of several private partners and cutting-edge technology, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has brought back the first-ever 3-D images of this long-lost shipwreck, which historians have called the "Titanic of the Golden Gate."
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 10 Dec 2014 12:30:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>Recipients Announced for Annual Sea to Shining Sea: Excellence in Interpretation and Education Award</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec14/sea-to-shining-sea-awards.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[For the second year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries recognizes outstanding achievement in the fields of interpretation and environmental education by presenting the Sea to Shining Sea Award: Excellence in Interpretation and Education.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 09 Dec 2014 12:15:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>Mapping the Walker</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov14/mapping-the-walker.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[When it comes to studying a 150-year-old, nationally significant shipwreck, NOAA knows that often the best resources are the people who've already been diving there for decades.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 21 Nov 2014 10:15:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>Uncovering a Hidden Battleground</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2014/pr102114.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[For more than 70 years, sand and silt concealed the watery graves of two vessels lost in a battle that brought World War II to America's shores.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 21 Oct 2014 13:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>NOAA Team Reveals Forgotten Ghost Ships Off Golden Gate</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2014/pr091614.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[A team of NOAA researchers today confirmed the discovery just outside San Francisco's Golden Gate strait of the 1910 shipwreck SS Selja and an unidentified early steam tugboat wreck tagged the "mystery wreck." The researchers also located the 1863 wreck of the clipper ship Noonday, currently obscured by mud and silt on the ocean floor.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2014 12:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>From the Beach to the Deep Sea: Exploring Ecosystems of the Gulf of the Farallones</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep14/exploring-gulf-farallones.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Thousands of years ago, before humans settled around San Francisco Bay, geologic forces were at work creating dramatic coastal mountains and deep sea floor ridges off the central California coast. Over time, these diverse habitats came to host an astounding array of animals and plants. Located just west of the Golden Gate Bridge, Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary protects nearly 1,300 square miles of ocean.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 10 Sep 2014 13:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Thunder Bay Sanctuary Boundaries Expand</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep14/thunderbay-expansion.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Since its designation in 2000, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary has been home to one of the richest collections of federally protected shipwrecks in America.Now that collection is growing even larger as the sanctuary expands to nearly 10 times its original size, encompassing new waters that may potentially contain more than 100 additional shipwreck sites.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 05 Sep 2014 14:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Capturing the Florida Keys, in 360 Degrees</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug14/capturing-keys-360.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[A new blog by Maya Walton, a NOAA Sea Grant Knauss Fellow: I recently had the incredible opportunity to visit beautiful Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary for a high-tech research expedition in collaboration with the Catlin Seaview Survey and Underwater Earth.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 15 Aug 2014 15:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Sharks in the Sanctuaries</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/sharkweek/</link>
<description><![CDATA[From the white sharks that silently patrol the Gulf of the Farallones to the graceful hammerheads that congregate at the Flower Garden Banks, sharks are some of the national marine sanctuaries' most beautiful - and important - underwater residents.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 11 Aug 2014 12:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Taking it Slow</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/aug14/slowdown-ships.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Six shipping companies agree to slow down in Santa Barbara Channel to reduce pollution, protect endangered whales.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 04 Aug 2014 12:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Foster Scholars Prepare to Dive into America's National Marine Sanctuaries</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jul14/nancy-foster.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Buoyed by financial support from NOAA, a new group of burgeoning marine scientists is preparing to dive into the underwater world of America's national marine sanctuaries.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 23 Jul 2014 14:45:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Celebrating 20 Years at Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jul14/olympic-coast-20th.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Picture a place where orcas breach above the sunken wrecks of 19th-century ships, and sea otters frolic among kelp forests while bald eagles soar through the skies. That place is Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, which is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its designation as a national marine sanctuary this month.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2014 13:10:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Whaleship Charles W. Morgan to visit Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2014/pr070814.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Nearly 100 years after its last voyage, the whaleship Charles W. Morgan will visit NOAA's Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary in a symbolic journey to one of the world's premier whale watching sites.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Jul 2014 14:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Mission 31: Fabien Cousteau's Record-Breaking Journey into the Hidden World of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jul14/mission-31.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Fabien Cousteau, world-renowned ocean advocate, filmmaker and grandson of pioneering ocean explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, accomplished just that last month during Mission 31, his record-breaking quest to spend 31 days beneath the sea in the world's only underwater research laboratory!
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 24 Jun 2014 11:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>The World Cup (of Underwater Robots)</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/jun14/rov-competition.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[While the sporting world is fixated on the World Cup in Brazil this summer, another international tournament is about to take the quiet Michigan town of Alpena by storm.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 24 Jun 2014 11:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>NOAA announces updated process for nominating new national marine sanctuaries</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2014/pr061014.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[For 40 years, the United States national marine sanctuaries have worked to protect sites ranging from a Civil War shipwreck to coral reefs and tiny atolls. Today, NOAA announced that beginning this week the American public can now nominate nationally significant marine and Great Lakes areas as potential new national marine sanctuaries.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:56:05 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>NOAA Identifies Probable Location of Iconic Civil War-era Steamer Planter</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2014/pr051314.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA announced today it has determined the probable location of the remains of the Civil War-era sidewheel steamer Planter, which gained national fame in 1862 when a group of enslaved African Americans commandeered the Confederate Navy transport ship in a daring escape to freedom.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 13 May 2014 09:20:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>7 Surprising Ways You Can Help Your National Marine Sanctuaries</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr14/surprising-ways-to-help.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Find out how you can help by reading this article and volunteering!
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 30 Apr 2014 13:20:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>NOAA Coast Survey ship finds 19th century shipwreck off Golden Gate Bridge--again</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2014/pr042314.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA announced today the rediscovery of underwater wreck of the passenger steamer, The City of Chester, which sank in 1888 in a collision in dense fog near where the Golden Gate Bridge stands today.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 23 Apr 2014 11:06:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>NOAA releases expansion proposal for Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank national marine sanctuaries</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2014/pr041414.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has released a proposal to expand the boundaries of Gulf of the Farallones (GFNMS) and Cordell Bank (CBNMS) national marine sanctuaries, two of 14 sites managed by NOAA, located off north-central California.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Apr 2014 11:06:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Sanctuaries Without Stars: Sea Star Wasting Syndrome</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr14/sea-star-wasting.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Beginning as early as June 2013, sea stars along the entire Pacific coast began dying from what has become known as "sea star wasting syndrome," or "S3." The ailment, which affects over a dozen species of sea stars in a variety of ocean landscapes, is a gruesome way to go.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Apr 2014 12:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Wreck of USCS Robert J. Walker added to National Register of Historic Places</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2014/pr040214.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA today announced that the wreck of the ship Robert J. Walker, a steamer that served in the U.S. Coast Survey, a predecessor agency of NOAA's Office of Coast Survey, has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Apr 2014 12:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Emma Hickerson Inducted into Women Divers Hall of Fame</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar14/emma-hickerson.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[When Emma Hickerson started volunteering at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary headquarters in Galveston, Texas, in 1996, it was just a "temporary thing" -- or so she thought. But things didn't quite work out that way...
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 28 Mar 2014 10:25:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Five Times the Fun at the Redesigned Mokupapapa Discovery Center</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar14/mokupapapa-discovery-center.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA's Mokupapapa Discovery Center in Hilo, Hawaii, reopened its doors to the public last week after nearly a year of renovations, unveiling a new 20,000-square-foot facility that's five times the size of its previous location.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 14 Mar 2014 13:25:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Takig Out the Trash with Zero Waste Week</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar14/taking-out-the-trash.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[What about a whole week? Here's your chance to find out. Join students across California as they try to cut down their environmental impact during Zero Waste Week!
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 14 Mar 2014 13:25:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Cordell Bank Like You've Never Seen it Before</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb14/bay_area_underwater_explorers.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Orange and pink corals, sponges, and anemones emerge through an enormous cloud of widow rockfish. Using strobes and powerful lights that chase the darkness from the deep, a group of expert divers has captured amazing views of the rarely seen Cordell Bank.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:55:16 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>Count Humpback Whales in Hawaii with the Coolest Volunteer Program Ever</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/feb14/hawaii_ocean_count.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[More than 150 years after the USS Hatteras met its final resting place in the Gulf of Mexico, the identities of two African-American sailors who went down with the ship remain a mystery.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 25 Feb 2014 16:15:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>USS Hatteras: Help Solve a Mystery in the Deep!</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb14/hatteras_mystery.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[More than 150 years after the USS Hatteras met its final resting place in the Gulf of Mexico, the identities of two African-American sailors who went down with the ship remain a mystery.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:50:04 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb14/hatteras_mystery.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Behind the Documentary: Hitler's Secret Attack on America</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb14/hitler_secret_attack_on_america.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA researchers find themselves face to face with the remnants of a devastating U-boat attack on the U.S. East Coast in the National Geographic documentary Hitler's Secret Attack on America.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 05 Feb 2014 16:22:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb14/hitler_secret_attack_on_america.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Announcing the 2014 Voyage to Discovery Essay Contest</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0114_vtdessay.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Calling all middle and high school students: the Second Annual Voyage to Discovery Essay Contest is now accepting entries!
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:50:04 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0114_vtdessay.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>New ROV on the Block</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1213_mohawk.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Picture this: you're a marine scientist studying the deep ocean. From the darkened control room on your research boat, you guide a remotely operated vehicle (called an ROV) over the alien landscape more than 500 feet below the surface.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 14 Jan 2014 08:15:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1213_mohawk.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Lost and Found: Scientists Revisit a Sunken Shipping Container</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/shippingcontainers.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Every day, millions of shipping containers crisscross the world's oceans. But what happens to the ones that get lost along the way?
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 16 Dec 2013 10:15:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Meet National Marine Sanctuary's Volunteer of the Year</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2013/pr110513.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Today, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council recognized John J. Galluzzo a Massachusetts South Shore resident and author, who was named the 2013 Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary's Volunteer of the Year.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 05 Nov 2013 14:15:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Education Awards Announced for Sea to Shining Sea</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1013_sea_award.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Through this new award, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries intends to recognize outstanding achievement in the fields of interpretation and environmental education for its employees, contractors and volunteers on an annual basis.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:55:51 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>NOAA Sanctuaries establishes new business advisory council</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2013/pr091213b.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has established a new business advisory council to give its director the views of industry leaders as they work with corporate partners in marine resource protection.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:50:04 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>21 California schools receive more than $74,000 in NOAA grants to protect the ocean</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has awarded 21 K-12 schools in California with more than $74,000 in grants to help protect the health of the ocean. The schools received a Ocean Guardian School grants to implement a hands-on school or community-based project that helps protect and conserve the health of local watersheds, the ocean and special ocean areas like national marine sanctuaries.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:50:04 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>USS Monitor: A Historic Ship Completes Its Final Voyage - Exclusive Interview with Author John Bradwater</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0913_monitor.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[On Aug. 27, NOAA celebrated the 40th anniversary of the 1973 discovery of the Monitor's final resting place by a team of scientists led by John G. Newton of the Duke University Marine Lab in Beaufort, N.C. To commemorate the occasion, we sat down with John Broadwater, former chief archaeologist for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the author of USS Monitor: A Historic Ship Completes Its Final Voyage, to talk about the 150-year-old ironclad's more recent history.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 10 Sep 2013 11:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>New App! Experience California Sanctuaries</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/mobile_app.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The sights, sounds, history and natural wonders of California's coast are highlighted in a new iPhone/iPad application released by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 06 Sep 2013 15:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>NOAA confirms wreck is lost 19th century U.S. Coast Survey steamer Robert J. Walker</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2013/pr082713.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[More than 153 years after it was lost in a violent collision at sea, government and university maritime archaeologists have identified the wreck of the ship Robert J. Walker, a steamer that served in the U.S. Coast Survey, a predecessor agency of NOAA.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 27 Aug 2013 10:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>NOAA Reports Discovery of Table Coral, Acropora cytherea, Off O'ahu</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2013/pr080813.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA scientists report the discovery of the first known colony of table coral off of the south shore of O'ahu in Hawai'i.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:50:04 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>NOAA Celebrates Opening of New Ocean Science Building at UC Santa Barbara</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2013/pr080613.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Officials from NOAA and the University of California at Santa Barbara today joined U.S. Rep. Lois Capps to celebrate the opening of the school's Ocean Science Education Building, which will also house the new headquarters for NOAA's Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 06 Aug 2013 14:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>Sharks in the Sanctuaries</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/sharkweek/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[From the white sharks that silently patrol the Gulf of the Farallones to the graceful hammerheads that congregate at the Flower Garden Banks, sharks are some of the national marine sanctuaries' most beautiful - and important - underwater residents.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 02 Aug 2013 09:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>2013 Nancy Foster Scholars Announced</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2013/pr072513.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has selected three graduate students as national recipients of the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:50:04 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>NOAA Seeks Public Input on Nomination Process for Potential New Marine Sanctuaries</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2013/pr062813.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA is seeking public input on a proposed process and associated criteria to evaluate potential new national marine sanctuaries in the nation's marine and Great Lakes environments.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 28 Jun 2013 11:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Unmanned Aircraft System Testing in Olympic Coast</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2013/pr062013.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA has begun testing an unmanned aircraft system in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary that could allow researchers to observe animals at relatively close range with minimal disturbance, and possibly locate marine debris in remote areas.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 20 Jun 2013 11:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>NOAA Releases Draft Proposal to Expand Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2013/pr061413.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA today released for public comment a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) and proposed rule for expanding the boundaries of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Lake Huron from its current 448 square miles to 4,300 square miles.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>New NOAA Report Examines National Oil Pollution Threat from Shipwrecks</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2013/pr052013.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA presented to the U.S. Coast Guard today a new report that finds that 36 sunken vessels scattered across the U.S. seafloor could pose an oil pollution threat to the nation's coastal marine resources.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 20 May 2013 10:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2013/pr052013.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>National Marine Sanctuary Volunteers Lauded During National Volunteer Week 2013</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0413_volunteer_week.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Volunteers across the country donated more than 100,000 hours of their time last year - the equivalent of 58 fulltime employees - to help protect and conserve the country's ocean and coastal treasures for future generations.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>Olympic Coast Sanctuary report is first step in addressing effects of climate change</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2013/pr041713.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[A new report on the potential effects of climate change on NOAA's Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary uses existing observations and science-based expectations to identify how climate change could affect habitats, plants and animals within the sanctuary and adjacent coastal areas.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:55:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Japanese Dock to be Removed from Olympic Peninsula</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0313_dock.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Workers have begun staging equipment and dismantling the dock that came ashore on the Olympic peninsula this past December. The dock was washed out to sea during the March 2011 tsunami in Japan.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 19 Mar 2013 13:55:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Sanctuaries Assist in Saving Humpback Whale</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2013/pr031113.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[On Monday, March 11, a team of specially trained rescuers freed an entangled male humpback whale near Lahaina in the waters of NOAA's Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, saving the animal from a potentially life-threatening predicament.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:45:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2013/pr031113.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>150 Years Later, Civil War Sailors Laid to Rest</title>
<link>http://monitor.noaa.gov/150th/feature_burial.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Under the swirling clouds of a blustery March day, two fallen heroes of the Civil War were laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery last week, their identities still a mystery.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:20:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Maritime Archeological Resources in Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Good Condition</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2013/pr021913.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Today, NOAA released the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Condition Report that describes the state of the sanctuary's resources and pressures that affect their scientific integrity and recreational value. Overall, the condition of the sanctuary's maritime archaeological resources is considered to be "good."
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:45:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>NOAA: Tortugas Marine Reserve Yields More, Larger Fish</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2013/pr020413.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[A new NOAA research report finds that both fish populations and commercial and recreational anglers have benefited from "no-take" protections in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:30:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>State of the Art Sonar Map Reveals New Details of Sunken Civil War-era Warship</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2013/pr011113.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[A new 3-D state of the art sonar map released today by NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, ExploreOcean, Teledyne Blueview, and Northwest Hydro shows never-before seen details of the USS Hatteras, the only Union warship sunk in combat in the Gulf of Mexico during the Civil War.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:30:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Florida Keys Sanctuary Welcomes 15th Dive Operator Into Blue Star Coral Conservation and Education Program</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr122112.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA's Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary welcomes Quiescence Diving Services, Inc. of Key Largo as the newest participant in the sanctuary's Blue Star education and conservation program. Quiescence is the 15th operator in the Florida Keys to earn this recognition.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 21 Dec 2012 11:30:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>NOAA Seeks Public Comment on Expanding Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries Off Northern California</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr122012.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries announced today it will begin a public process to review the boundaries for its Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank national marine sanctuaries off northern California. The agency is soliciting public comments on this boundary review through March 1.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 20 Dec 2012 02:30:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>NOAA Announces Expansion of Voluntary Area to be Avoided Off Washington Coast</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr120312.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Beginning Dec. 1, more oceangoing ships traveling near the Washington coast will be asked to stay further offshore to reduce the threat of an oil spill to Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 03 Dec 2012 09:40:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Historic Shipwreck Identified in Key Largo</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr112012.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has identified the remains of an early 20th century shipwreck in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to be those of the British steamship Hannah M. Bell.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:15:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries: Preserving and Protecting Oceans' Natural Treasures</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr102312a.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[For 40 years, NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary System has preserved and protected some of the most spectacular and treasured resources in the world's oceans.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 23 Oct 2012 14:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Historic Shipwreck Identified at Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr102312.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Seventy years after it was scuttled off Los Angeles, government archaeologists have found the wrecked remains of the George E. Billings, a rare Pacific Coast schooner that was employed in the lumber trade during the early 1900s.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 23 Oct 2012 11:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Outer Banks Maritime Heritage Trail</title>
<link>http://monitor.noaa.gov/obxtrail/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Take a virtual tour of the Outer Banks! Visit the Outer Banks Maritime Heritage Trail website where you can travel along Highway 12 and explore some of the most exciting places the Outer Banks has to offer. Watch the videos, listen to the oral histories, and immerse yourself in the strong maritime heritage and unique culture that is found along the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Enjoy!
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 15 Oct 2012 10:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Sanctuary Ocean Count Project Receives National Recognition</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr101112.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Sanctuary Ocean Count, the signature outreach project for NOAA's Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, was named the Take Pride in America Outstanding Federal Volunteer Program during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., today.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 11 Oct 2012 10:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Rep. Sam Farr Hails Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary's 20th Anniversary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0912_farr.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[In recent comments to the House of Representatives, Congressman Sam Farr said the collaboration between local residents, government and environmentalists that resulted in the creation of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, is an example of what happens when communities become stewards of their local marine environment.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 25 Sep 2012 10:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Sanctuaries Diving into BLUE Ocean Film Festival</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0912_blue.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is diving into BLUE, Sept. 24-30, as BLUE Ocean Film Festival comes to Monterey, California.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:45:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>National Association of Black Scuba Divers to Help Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Unravel Shipwreck Mystery</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr091912.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Volunteer science divers with the National Association of Black Scuba Divers (NABS) are helping Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary unlock the mystery of an early 20th century shipwreck off Key Largo, Fla. Underwater surveys and research conducted this week will build upon past studies and bring maritime archaeologists a step closer to naming the wreckage.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>NOAA, Partners to Document Civil War-era Warship Sunk in Gulf of Mexico Battle</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr091012.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[According to a NOAA-led paper published today in the journal Conservation Biology, high levels of background noise, mainly due to ships, have reduced the ability of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales to communicate with each other by about two-thirds.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 10 Sep 2012 10:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Celebrate 40 Years of Sanctuaries</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/top40/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[On October 23, 1972, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act was signed, initiating ocean protection and conservation at a scope and scale never seen before. Today, fourteen magnificent protected areas and two generations later, NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary System celebrates its 40th anniversary with a Top 40 list of its most significant accomplishments. Each week day, starting on August 27 and culminating on October 23, an accomplishment will be posted here. Join our celebration and dive into your underwater treasures today!
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 27 Aug 2012 12:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>NOAA: Underwater Noise Decreases Whale Communications in Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr081512.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[According to a NOAA-led paper published today in the journal Conservation Biology, high levels of background noise, mainly due to ships, have reduced the ability of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales to communicate with each other by about two-thirds.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 15 Aug 2012 15:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr081512.html }</guid>
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<title>Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary Volunteer Honored with National Award</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr072512.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Ron Armonath, a Sagamore Beach resident who helped organize a citizen science project that collects information about whale activities at Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, was named National Volunteer of the Year by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jul 2012 10:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr072512.html }</guid>
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<title>NOAA Research Expedition Will Map Fish Spawning Habitats West of Key West</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr072412.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Scientists from Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and partner agencies will depart Key West Thursday aboard the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster to map fish spawning sites between Key West and the Dry Tortugas.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 24 Jul 2012 13:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr072412.html }</guid>
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<title>NOAA Encourages Southern California Ship Traffic to Slow Down to Reduce Collisions with Endangered Whales</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr072312a.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA has requested that large ships slow down in the Santa Barbara Channel to reduce the threat of ship strikes on endangered blue, humpback and fin whales.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 23 Jul 2012 13:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr072312a.html }</guid>
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<title>NOAA Sanctuary Exploration Center Opens in Santa Cruz</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr072312.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Officials from NOAA's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the city of Santa Cruz today celebrated the opening of the Sanctuary Exploration Center, a state-of-the-art facility full of interpretive and hands-on exhibits highlighting the sanctuary's extraordinary natural and cultural resources.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 23 Jul 2012 12:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr072312.html }</guid>
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<title>NOAA, Partners, Meet to Explore Climate Change and Coastal Tribes</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr071712.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[How climate change affects U.S. indigenous coastal cultures is the focus of the First Stewards symposium starting today at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. The coastal treaty tribes of Washington state - the Hoh, Makah, Quileute tribes and the Quinault Indian Nation - are hosting the event and collaborating with NOAA and other partners.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jul 2012 10:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr071712.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>The Power of Place: Surfing Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0712_power.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Bone-chilling water. A thousand shades of gray. A northwesterly swell, just in from somewhere near Kamchatka. Two veteran surfers start down the steep cliff-face on the Makah Indian Reservation. Beneath them, confused waves bend and collide around rocks near the beach. But offshore, the sets
are lining up perfectly with jade-green barrels breaking to the right.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 11 Jul 2012 10:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0712_power.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Reflections on the Bay: A Conversation with Chesapeake Watermen</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0712_reflections.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[To find out more about the connections between people and special places, we sat down with Chesapeake Bay watershed residents Joe Scrivener, Tommy Zinn, Craig Kelly and Phil Watson to talk about life along the bay.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 10 Jul 2012 11:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0712_reflections.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>The Value of Special Places</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0712_special.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[From an early age, our children learn about Yellowstone, Yosemite, Mount Rushmore, Gettysburg, the Grand Canyon - iconic locations whose names resonate with deep cultural and historical significance. We celebrate these places for their breathtaking scenery, but they mean more to us than just images on a postcard. They are part of the fabric of America, sources of national pride and inspiration that are recognized by all for their extraordinary worth.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0712_special.html }</guid>
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<title>Students Selected for 2012 NOAA Scholarships Honoring Dr. Nancy Foster</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr070212.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has selected three graduate students as national recipients of the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarships. Recipients of the scholarships represent graduate-level scholars in marine biology, coastal resource management and maritime archeology.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jul 2012 15:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr070212.html }</guid>
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<title>NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Celebrate One Million Volunteer Hours</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr061512.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[From removing trash to counting whales and educating school children, volunteers across the country performing a variety of critical functions have donated more than one million hours of community service to help conserve the country's ocean and coastal treasures for future generations.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 15 Jun 2012 12:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr061512.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Finding "NEEMO" at the Aquarius Reef Base</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/neemo/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[On Monday, a NASA mission splashed down off Key Largo, Fla. Unlike some NASA ventures, however, "splashdown" wasn't the end of the mission - it was just the beginning. Called "NEEMO" (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations project), the expedition involves crew of astronauts and scientists spending nearly two weeks in the Aquarius Reef Base, 60 feet below the surface of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 11 Jun 2012 11:45:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/neemo/welcome.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>The Sanctuary Classic 2012 Kicks Off</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/visit/fishing.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Reel 'em in, ready the shot and release! Get your fishing rods out and your cameras ready for a summer-long catch-and-release photo competition. Beginning June 9, submit your favorite fishing photos taken in our nation's National Marine Sanctuaries for a chance to win great prizes.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 11 Jun 2012 11:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/visit/fishing.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Massachusetts Marine Educators and Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Announce 2012 Marine Art Contest Winners</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr052312.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Massachusetts Marine Educators (MME) and Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary have announced the winners of the 2012 K-12 Marine Art Contest, selected from nearly 800 entries.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 23 May 2012 10:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr052312.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>NOAA's Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary Shipwreck Lamartine Listed on National Register of Historic Places</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr051712.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The wreck of the Lamartine, a 19th century schooner that hauled granite for construction of streets, sidewalks and buildings along the U.S. East Coast, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. The wreck lies within NOAA's Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary in Massachusetts Bay.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 May 2012 11:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr051712.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Presidential Tourism: Sanctuaries Part of the Plan</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0512tourism.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Commerce Secretary John Bryson and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced this week the Administration's National Travel and Tourism Strategy - delivering on President Obama's call in January for a national strategy to promote domestic and international travel opportunities throughout the United States. Two National Marine Sanctuaries - Florida Keys, and Gulf of the Farallones - are included in the report.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 11 May 2012 16:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0512tourism.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Central California Marine Life Featured in New iPhone, iPad App</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr050412.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Teachers, students, beachgoers, researchers and others can now view a wealth of information about central California marine life through a new iPhone and iPad application released by NOAA's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The free "SeaPhoto" app, the first of its kind for the region, includes more than 1,300 photos of marine life, some with detailed ecological information.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr050412.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Seeks Advisory Council Applicants - Including Youth Members</title>
<link>http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/news/latestnews.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is seeking to fill eight primary and nine alternate seats on its advisory council, which ensures public input into sanctuary matters and provides advice to the sanctuary management.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 May 2012 10:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/news/latestnews.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>NOAA's Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Releases Final Management Plan</title>
<link>http://flowergarden.noaa.gov/management/2012mgmtplan.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[A new rule prohibiting killing, injuring, touching or disturbing whale sharks and rays is part of the final management plan, regulations and environmental assessment for NOAA's Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, released by the agency today.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://flowergarden.noaa.gov/management/2012mgmtplan.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>NOAA's Monitor National Marine Sanctuary Releases Draft Management Plan</title>
<link>http://monitor.noaa.gov/management/draft_management.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA today released a comprehensive draft management plan and environmental
assessment for the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary for public review and comment. The
plan, based on several years of scientific assessment and public input, will serve as a roadmap
for addressing issues facing the sanctuary over the next five years.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:45:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://monitor.noaa.gov/management/draft_management.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>NOAA's Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Urges Boaters, Paddlers and Pilots to Avoid Disturbing Seabirds</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr041612.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[With seabird breeding season underway, NOAA's Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary urges coastal visitors, whether boaters and paddlers or small aircraft pilots, to avoid disturbing nesting seabirds.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:50:04 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>NOAA Seeks Input on Possible Expansion of Thunder Bay Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr041212.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Mariners along the U.S. east coast can now download a new iPad and iPhone application that warns them when they enter areas of high risk of collision with critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:50:04 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>New iPad, iPhone App Helps Mariners Avoid Endangered Right Whales</title>
<link>http://stellwagen.noaa.gov/protect/whalealert.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Mariners along the U.S. east coast can now download a new iPad and iPhone application that warns them when they enter areas of high risk of collision with critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://stellwagen.noaa.gov/protect/whalealert.html }</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>NOAA'S Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Seeks Advisory Council Applicants</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr032112.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA's Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is seeking applicants for five seats on its advisory council, which ensures public participation in sanctuary management and provides advice to the sanctuary superintendent.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Sanctuaries Featured in DC Environmental Film Festival</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0312filmfestival.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has teamed up with world renowned environmental filmmaker Bob Talbot to showcase three ocean films at DC's upcoming Environmental Film Festival. Experience your national marine sanctuaries through film on Sunday, March 25 in the National Museum of Natural History's Baird Auditorium. The films are free and will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0312filmfestival.html }</guid>
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<title>NOAA's Gulf of the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Asks Bay Area Boaters to Watch Out for Whales</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr031812.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA's Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary advises San Francisco Bay Area boaters to watch out for and steer clear of whales. Multiple whale species migrate into the area in large numbers during the spring and summer.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 19 Mar 2012 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>Monterey Bay Sanctuary to Host Annual Research Symposium</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr031612.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary will hold its annual Currents symposium on April 14 at California State University, Monterey Bay. This year's theme is From Lions to Luminescence: Linking Land and Sea.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 Mar 2012 10:20:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>Monterey County Native Wins Top Honor for Management of Florida Keys Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr030912.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has named Sean Morton as "Manager of the Year" for his dedicated leadership and visionary approach as superintendent of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 09 Mar 2012 10:30:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>NOAA Honors Lost Crew of USS Monitor</title>
<link>http://monitor.noaa.gov/150th/news_forensic.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[USS Monitor Memorial Service, Plaque Dedication and an Unveiling of the Monitor Sailors' Faces at the US Navy Memorial, Washington, D.C.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 06 Mar 2012 08:15:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>New Vessel Blessed at NOAA's Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr022212.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary's new research vessel, R/V Kohola, was blessed today during a brief ceremony at U.S. Coast Guard Station Maui.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2012/pr022212.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Discovering Maui's World War II Legacy</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/maritime/expeditions/maui/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Between June 5th and June 18th 2011, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Maritime Heritage Program and the University of Hawai`i's Marine Option Program conducted a survey of sunken World War II-era aircraft and shipwrecks along Maui's southern coast.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:15:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/maritime/expeditions/maui/welcome.html }</guid>
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<title>Celebrating 150 Years of the USS Monitor</title>
<link>http://monitor.noaa.gov/150th/</link>
<description><![CDATA[The year 2012 marks the 150th anniversary of the USS Monitor. From its launch on Jan. 30, 1862, to its sinking on Dec. 31, 1862, the Monitor, in its short lifetime, became one of our nation's most prized treasures.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://monitor.noaa.gov/150th/ }</guid>
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<item>
<title>New Hope for the Nihoa Millerbirds</title>
<link>http://www.papahanaumokuakea.gov/news/millerbirdupdate.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Latest Update on the Nihoa Millerbirds on Laysan Island - New Hope for Critically Endangered Species.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://www.papahanaumokuakea.gov/news/millerbirdupdate.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Sanctuaries: Centers for Strong Local Economies</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1211socio.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[From restaurants and hotels, to aquariums and kayak operators, the success of many businesses, millions of dollars in sales and thousands of jobs, directly depend on thriving national marine sanctuaries.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:30:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Florida Keys Coral Reef Restoration Report</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/conservation/lagniappe.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[This document presents the results of a restoration and four subsequent monitoring events designed to track the recovery of coral habitat restored after injury involving a nearshore patch reef within the boundaries of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:30:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>Gray's Reef Research Area Now Effective</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1211grays.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Under a new regulation that went into effect Sunday, the southern third of NOAA's 22-square-mile Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary is now a research area where scientists will be able to study the impact of human activities on the sanctuary's marine resources.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 05 Dec 2011 08:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>NOAA releases plan for managing, protecting Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr110111.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>NOAA's Sanctuary Research Vessel to Assist in Recovery of Cannon from Queen Anne's Revenge</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr102011.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries will help the State of North Carolina recover a large cannon from the Queen Anne's Revenge, the sunken flagship of the notorious pirate captain Blackbeard.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>NOAA and France Partner to Protect Whales</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1011whales.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>Connecting Children to the Outdoors - Ocean Education Programs Rekindle Our Bond with Nature</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1011children.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>NOAA Reminds Hawaii Ocean Users to Follow Whale Protection Rules</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr092711.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>Lionfish Reported at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr081511.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>NOAA, University of Hawaii Research Maui's World War II Legacy</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr080811.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 08 Aug 2011 09:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr080811.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Getting a Whale's-eye View of Stellwagen Bank</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0711tagging.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>2011 Battle of the Atlantic Expedition</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2011battleoftheatlantic/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2011battleoftheatlantic/welcome.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>More than 500 Lionfish Removed in Second Annual Middle Florida Keys Roundup</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr051611.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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).
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 16 May 2011 13:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, REEF, to host Second Annual Lionfish Derby Series</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr041911.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 19 Apr 2011 13:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr041911.html }</guid>
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<title>Catching the Wave - Surfing in the National Marine Sanctuaries</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0311catching.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 24 Mar 2011 11:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>NOAA's Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Asks Bay Area Boaters to Watch Out for Whales</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr031411.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Mar 2011 09:55:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr031411.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Sanctuary 2010 Accomplishments Report</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/report2010/</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:45:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/report2010/ }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Public Cautioned to Avoid Seal Pups</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr022511.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:55:44 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>NOAA, Partners, Launch New Website Highlighting African-American Maritime Heritage</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr020111.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Feb 2011 10:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>20th Century Shipwreck in NOAA's Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary Listed on National Register of Historic Places</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr013111.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 31 Jan 2010 09:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr013111.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Congratulatory Letter from President Clinton</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1210clinton.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Former President Bill Clinton congratulates NOAA on the 10th anniversary of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 03 Dec 2010 09:30:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Hunting the Invasive Lionfish</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1110lionfish.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1110lionfish.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Re-discovering Cordell Bank: Dive Expedition 30 years later</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2010reefcrest/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 04 Oct 2010 09:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2010reefcrest/welcome.html }</guid>
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<title>Aquarius 2010 - If Reefs Could Talk</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2010aquarius/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:50:04 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2010aquarius/welcome.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Discover the BLUE Ocean Film Festival</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0710blue.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:50:04 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary to Host Live Webcasts from the Shipwreck Montana</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0710montana.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:10:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0710montana.html }</guid>
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<title>NOAA Sanctuary Exploration Center Breaks Ground in Santa Cruz</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2010/pr071210.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:45:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Battle of the Atlantic 2010 Expedition</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2010battleoftheatlantic/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:10:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>East Carolina University 2010 Nearshore Expedition</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2010ecu_nearshore/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:20:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>West Coast Coral 2010 Expedition</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2010coral_west/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/2010coral_west/welcome.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Gray's Reef 2010 Expedition</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2010nancy_foster/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 13 May 2010 03:35:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/2010nancy_foster/welcome.html }</guid>
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<title>Exploring Deep Sea Coral - 2010 Expedition</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2010coral_east/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/2010coral_east/welcome.html }</guid>
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<title>National Marine Sanctuaries Accomplishments Report 2009</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/report2009</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:15:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Recognizes Student Scientist</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2010/pr031110.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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".
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:50:04 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>Wreck of Airship USS Macon Added to National Register of Historic Places</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2010/pr021110.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:50:04 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>NOAA Director and UCSB Chancellor Break Ground on New Ocean Science Education Building</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2010/pr011110.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:30:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>Response Launched to Save Enangled Whale in Maui</title>
<link>http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/news/rescue_news.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:45:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>NOAA, University of Hawai'i and National Geographic Channel Announce the Discovery of Top-secret Japanese Combat Sunmarines</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2009/pr111209.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:50:04 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>Science for Marine Spatial Planning - a Symposium</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/msp_symposium.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>American Samoa Community College Interns Produce Sea Cucumber Brochure</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/about/seacucumber.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:20:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>Deep Reef 2009: Oct. 18, 2009 - Back at Midway</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2009ramp/blog_101809.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Follow the latest blogs from the Deep Reef 2009 Cruise.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>Sanctuaries Presents at International MPA Workshop</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1009_mpa.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>2009 Battle of the Atlantic Expedition</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/battleoftheatlantic2/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>Graveyard of the Atlantic Expedition</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2009monitor/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>New Sanctuary Learning Center in Kihei</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2009/pr041309.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Condition Report</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2009/pr040209.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>NOAA Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary Shipwreck Joffre listed on National Register of Historic Places</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0309_joffre.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0309_joffre.html }</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Make a Difference. What Will You Do?</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/makeadifference</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/makeadifference }</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>National Marine Sanctuaries Accomplishments Report 2008</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/report2008</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:15:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/report2008 }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Fagatele Bay Requests Public Comment on Management Plan</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/involved/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2009 08:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/involved/welcome.html }</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Final Rule Published for Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://channelislands.noaa.gov/manplan/overview.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:30:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://channelislands.noaa.gov/manplan/overview.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Kauai County Named Preserve America Community Status</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0109_kauai.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 02 Jan 2009 12:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0109_kauai.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Kids Make a Difference - Become an Ocean Guardian</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/kids_club/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/kids_club/welcome.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Volunteers Monitor Contaminants in Season's "First Flush" of Storm Water Runoff into Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2008/pr110308.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:30:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2008/pr110308.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Sanctuary Researchers Assess Damage from Hurricane Ike</title>
<link>http://flowergarden.noaa.gov/science/ike2008.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 20 Oct 2008 09:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://flowergarden.noaa.gov/science/ike2008.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Maui County Bestowed Preserve America Community Status</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1008_maui.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1008_maui.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Sanctuaries Go to Barcelona!</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1008_barcelona.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/1008_barcelona.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Roz Savage Rows Solo Across Pacific</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0908_rower.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0908_rower.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Testing Fishing Gear Removal Techniques at Cordell Bank</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2008cordellbank/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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).
]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2008cordellbank/welcome.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Gray's Reef 2008 Condition Report Released</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/condition/grnms/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/condition/grnms/welcome.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Marine Archaeology Expedition Uncovers New Shipwrecks</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2008pmnm/blog_081308.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2008pmnm/blog_081308.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Studying Florida's Remote Dry Tortugas Ecological Reserve</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0808nccos.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 2008 10:20:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0808nccos.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Exploring WWII in the Graveyard of the Atlantic</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/battleoftheatlantic/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/battleoftheatlantic/welcome.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>A Scientific Forum on the Gulf of Mexico: The Islands in the Stream Concept</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/conservation/gom.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:21:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/conservation/gom.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>New High-Tech Research Ship to Serve NOAA's Flower Garden Banks Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2008/pr062708.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:25:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2008/pr062708.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>New Interactive Touch-Screen Kiosks Offer In-depth Look at NOAA's Channel Islands Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2008/pr062608.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:05:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2008/pr062608.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Gray's Reef Expedition 2008</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2008nancy_foster/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 02 May 2008 11:25:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2008nancy_foster/welcome.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>North Pacific Marine Debris Expedition 2008</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/nwhi2008/</link>
<description><![CDATA[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).
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/nwhi2008/ }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Sanctuaries Joins the International Year of the Reef Campaign</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0308iyor.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 07 Apr 2008 11:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0308iyor.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>National Marine Sanctuaries Accomplishments Report for 2007</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/sos2007/</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:45:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/sos2007/ }</guid>
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<item>
<title>U.S. Army Divers Team Up with Sanctuaries</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2008/pr030608.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:45:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2008/pr030608.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>History's Ecological Mysteries</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/historical_ecology/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 03 Mar 2008 09:12:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/historical_ecology/welcome.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Meet the Mardi Gras Wrasse - It's Party Time!</title>
<link>http://flowergarden.noaa.gov/news_events/wrasse_article.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:54:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://flowergarden.noaa.gov/news_events/wrasse_article.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Researchers Head to Alaska to Explore the Hassler</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/maritime/expeditions/hassler/</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 14 Aug 2007 11:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/maritime/expeditions/hassler/ }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Marine Zoning Network Largest in the Continental United States</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2007/pr080907.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 09 Aug 2007 12:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2007/pr080907.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Hit the Trail: Hiking Fagatele Bay's Hiking Trail</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0707_fbtrail.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 02 Aug 2007 14:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0707_fbtrail.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Rowing Solo Across the Pacific</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0707_rower.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 10 Jul 2007 11:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0707_rower.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>Discover Mastadon Fossils, Bottom Dwellers and More!</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2007grnms/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 12 Jun 2007 13:35:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2007grnms/welcome.html }</guid>
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<item>
<title>How to be Dolphin SMART</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0507_dolphinsmart.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 25 May 2007 13:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Whale Rescues Continue in 2007</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0407_entanglement.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 15 May 2007 11:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Oceans for Life Lesson Plans and Video</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/welcome.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 07 May 2007 14:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>California Sea Floor Survey Sheds New Light on Mavericks Big Waves</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2007/pr041607.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 16 Apr 2007 13:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<title>Flower Garden Banks' Secrets of the Gulf Expedition</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2007fgb/</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 28 Feb 2007 14:30:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>State of the Sanctuaries Report Released</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/sos2006/</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 26 Feb 2007 11:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>New Regulations for Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2007/pr021607.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 Feb 2007 14:10:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Sister Sanctuaries to Protect Endangered Whales</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2007/pr012607.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 06 Feb 2007 12:15:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2007/pr012607.html}</guid>
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<item>
<title>Intergovernmental Policy Council Formed</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0107_octribes.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[
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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 05 Feb 2007 10:05:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
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<item>
<title>Freeing Entangled Whales: Leave it to the Experts</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0107_whalerescue.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[
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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 25 Jan 2007 09:21:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0107_whalerescue.html}</guid>
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<title>Flordia Keys Eco-Discovery Center Opens</title>
<link>http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0107_ecocenter.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[
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.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 23 Jan 2007 12:21:00 -0500</pubDate>
<category>RSS News</category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">{http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/0107_ecocenter.html}</guid>
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