Before sunrise, the fishing boats slip quietly out on the ocean. By mid-morning, whale watching vessels follow the same waters, their decks lined with visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of breaching humpbacks. Beneath the surface, scuba divers photograph sea lions and anemones, and kelp forests shelter fisheries that support local livelihoods. Central to all of this is NOAA’s Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, one of the few places in America that seamlessly connects nature, community and the local economy.
Across the country, NOAA protects a network of underwater parks — 18 national marine sanctuaries and two marine national monuments spanning over 629,000 square miles. Together these places safeguard extraordinary natural, ecological, historical, and cultural resources while supporting the communities that depend upon them.
Like America’s national parks, national marine…
