National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

Science & technology:the national marine sanctuary system encompasses america's most iconic ocean and great lakes placesour coral reefs, shipwrecks, kelp forests, and deep-sea canyons. Each sanctuary is a national living laboratory that fuels a powerful ocean enterprise. They are platforms for science and innovation, testbeds for new technologies, and catalysts for regional economic growth. The foundation funds and helps support the ocean enterprise in sanctuaries, a network of public, private, and academic entities that develop and deliver ocean observation, measurement, socioeconomic studies, and data services. Partners develop applications across science, maritime safety, national security, and in support of marine and coastal economies. We support experts providing input to fisheries ecology, whale behavioral ecology, whale and bird tagging to better understand where keystone wildlife and endangered species found in sanctuaries. This includes one of the longest-running, consecutive-year seabird tagging projects on the u.s. East coast. Long-term data collection and preservation are central to our efforts, enabling researchers to detect trends over time, inform policy decisions, and support the continued reuse and integration of data across disciplines. Recent tagging of north atlantic right whales, is helping investigate fine-scale whale behavior in relation to environmental conditions and prey distribution. We advance water quality monitoring and habitat assessments that establish critical baselines for coral reef health, enabling faster identification and mitigation of environmental threats. We support acoustic monitoring projects using standardized measurements to identify marine animal, physical, and human sounds across 30 sites. A related project uses drifting acoustic recorders in the california current, including the west coast sanctuaries. The project expanded to hawaii in 2023 and now covers the pacific islands region. Building on this work, we use machine learning to detect and classify sounds in sanctuaries across american samoa, papahnaumokukea, and hawaii, creating training datasets and models for sanctuary management. These efforts also support vessel speed reduction programs in california by developing noise metrics aligned with regional and international standards. We fund socioeconomic research that provides information on how many people engage in and how they use national marine sanctuaries. This work is important because it benefits local communities to have an increased understanding of the importance of national marine sanctuaries to their local economies as well as have access to critical socioeconomic data that can further inform local community discussions regarding resource conservation and regulatory processes, and decisions. The foundation supports the integration of science activities across the national marine sanctuary system to enhance awareness and engagement with local communities across the country with regards to ongoing collaborative research, community science, monitoring and assessment activities. The foundation funded a side-scan sonar project in stellwagen bank national marine sanctuary that is identify marine debris and engage the local fishing community at least 5 shipwrecks were identified in the process. In partnership with massachusetts fishermen and fishing charters, who tow the equipment and offer local knowledge, the project advances cultural heritage protection, and builds sanctuary awareness. For sanctuary ocean count the world's longest running community science project trained volunteers to spot and identify whales in hawaiian islands humpback whale national marine sanctuary, tallying humpback whale sightings, and documenting the animals' surface behavior during the survey. In 2024, ocean count and partner events, more than 1,300 volunteer community scientists participated in three coordinated whale count events across the state of hawaii and observed a total of 5,120 humpback whales from shore-based sites. Data collected combined with other research efforts can help reveal trends in humpback whale occurrence within and amongst whale seasons.

Education & outreach:the national marine sanctuary foundation connects people to their sanctuaries and funds public education, outreach, conservation, and maritime heritage projects that encourage people to become engaged stewards of america's ocean, coasts, and great lakes waters. We encourage local stewardship and national engagement including promoting sustainable recreation and tourism in national marine sanctuaries; establishing lifelong connections to national marine sanctuaries and monuments through education and public awareness.the foundation supports staff, operations, exhibits, and/or programs at ten visitor center sites in each of the three regions of the national marine sanctuary system, including launching a new visitor center, pacific islands ocean exploration center, designed to connect visitors in the high-tourism area of downtown honolulu to national marine sanctuaries in the pacific islands. New exhibits were developed for the new gray's reef ocean discovery center, to attract the attention of the millions of visitors to savannah, georgia every year to learn more about the resources of the offshore gray's reef national marine sanctuary and their value to the communities of the coastal empire. Annually on october 23, the foundation hosts national marine sanctuary day, a national day of celebration of our treasured waters in the ocean and great lakes that demonstrate how america's shared maritime heritage and coastal communities are deeply woven together in our national character. Nmsd 2024 featured stories of youth leadership and activism for our ocean and great lakes, expanding public access to sanctuaries for tourism and recreation, and heritage and culture inspired by these special places.the national marine sanctuary foundation funds programs that reach more than 1,000 k-12 educators annually; and connect sites in the national marine sanctuary system to sustainable fisheries/seafood and endangered/protected species. We provide students, educators, and lifelong learners with opportunities to explore and discover connections to the natural world, no matter where they live. Our funding promotes in- and out-of-classroom learning experiences, teacher trainings, and educational exhibits at sanctuary visitor centers, zoos, and aquariums across the country. As part of reinvigorating sustainable recreation initiatives in the national marine sanctuary system, the foundation expanded a public-private partnership to support family fishing clinics to five national marine sanctuaries in 2024, with 168 participants from 65 families.the foundation also supports projects that work closely with indigenous communities to advance the understanding and use of indigenous knowledge, encourage better public understanding of the role of native people in our history with our waters, and celebrate the cultures of indigenous communities. In 2024, the foundation helped facilitate the second cross-pacific indigenous exchange, held in monterey and seaside, california. This exchange included 36 indigenous leaders and representatives from alaska, hawai'i, american samoa, saipan, california, washington, and maryland. We also helped support indigenous films, exhibits, and outreach events throughout the pacific. The foundation made 12 grants totaling more than $84,000 to organizations throughout the u.s. Helping to clear marine debris from our nation's waters, and provide prevention education. As well as 15 additional grants totaling nearly $150,000 designed to support engagement with ocean exploration and science. The foundation funds networks of educators to share ideas, best practices, and activities that engage students in the classroom. The foundation looks outside of the classroom as well to immersive, hands-on education activities, in sanctuaries and their watersheds. For example, the project rove program helped train teachers across the u.s. On the skills needed to bring underwater robotics to their classroom, including a teacher cohort participating in synchronous and asynchronous online courses, culminating in an in-person workshop in olympic coast national marine sanctuary. The foundation supports noaa ocean guardian schools in 14 states and 3 territories, helping schools protect local watersheds, the ocean, and special areas like sanctuaries through school- and community-based conservation projects. Since inception, students have collected over 180,000 pounds of trash, distributed 44,000 reusable items, and avoided more than a million single-use bottles. Parents report a 66% increase in their children's environmental advocacy. Nearly 90,000 students, over half from title i schools, and about 3,600 educators have participated. In 2024, 33 schools received more than $115,000 in grants.

Capitol hill ocean week (chow), the nation's premier ocean policy conference focused on the theme of leadership. Chow elevated federal, state and local leaders, tribal and indigenous elders, business executives, world renown scientists, conservation luminaries, and youth activists. Early-career and youth advocates from across the country came out in force to washington, dc, to champion ocean protection. They took center stage to share their initiatives and knowledge, advocate to elected officials, and inspire us all to be bold. Each year, chow strengthens our ability to lead the stewardship of our ocean and great lakes by making new connections and forging new possibilities, uplifting new voices, and honoring our champions. During chow, the foundation honored leaders during the ocean awards among their peers, members of the administration, and chow attendees.