For 40 years, America’s national marine sanctuaries have worked to protect sites ranging from a Civil War shipwreck to coral reefs and tiny atolls. NOAA has announced that beginning this week the American public can now nominate nationally significant marine and Great Lakes areas as potential new national marine sanctuaries.
The announcement was made by John Podesta, counselor to President Obama, during Capitol Hill Ocean Week. The community-based nomination process responds to numerous requests for new sanctuaries from interested communities and stakeholders around the country.