Ten years ago, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation began as the dream of two individuals inspired by the beautiful ocean vistas on the island of Maui. On July 30, 2000, the Foundation was officially incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and we began our work safeguarding and supporting America's most special places at sea, our national marine sanctuaries.

Help us celebrate our 10th anniversary and continue our work for another 10 years -- text the word SEA to 20222 on your cell phone to donate $10.* Your donation will support national marine sanctuaries in the next decade. Your gift will appear on your next cell phone statement.

*A one-time donation of $10.00 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation by the Mobile Giving Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.hmgf.org/t. Messaging & Data Rates May Apply. You can unsubscribe at any time by replying STOP to short code 20222; Reply HELP to 20222 for help.

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The mission of the Foundation since its inception has been to preserve, protect, and promote our national marine sanctuaries –- specially designated areas in U.S. ocean and Great Lakes waters set aside by the government for the natural and cultural resources they contain.

Throughout the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Great Lakes, you'll find the 14 sites in the National Marine Sanctuary System: some tiny areas no bigger than a city block, others so expansive they're bigger than some states. You know them for their brilliant coral reefs, or storied fishing grounds, or rugged coastlines; or if you're a history buff, for their famous shipwrecks. Sanctuaries are for all of us -- for fun, for research, for learning; they inspire us with their beauty and inform us about the best way to manage our ocean and Great Lakes resources.

Our sanctuaries are America's best underwater assets. You can help protect them by contributing to our efforts to expand and strengthen the National Marine Sanctuary System.

Text the word SEA to 20222 to donate $10.*

Your Donation Supports More Projects Like These:

Supporting sanctuary visitor centers – Our fundraising campaigns have helped create interactive educational exhibits at visitor centers at national marine sanctuaries across the country including Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Alpena, Michigan; Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary in Florida; and coming soon to Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Santa Cruz, California (campaign currently underway). All told, more than 200,000 visitors each year can explore and learn about our sanctuaries without getting their feet wet!

Hosting Washington D.C.’s premier marine policy conference – Our annual conference began in 2001 as a modest one-day event and has evolved into Capitol Hill Ocean Week, a robust three-day symposium attracting speakers and attendees from across the country to discuss the most important issues facing our ocean. This year, for the first time, people outside of the nation's capital could watch the panel sessions live online, via Ustream.

Building awareness of the ocean through competitive grants – A legacy of the retired U.S. Senator from South Carolina, our Ernest F. Hollings Ocean Awareness Trust Fund has awarded 33 grants totaling $800,000. The Hollings Fund was established in 2005 to help engage the general public in ocean conservation and stewardship. Funded projects include ocean film festivals, education programs teaching students the value of ocean stewardship, marine debris education and cleanups, exhibits highlighting marine mammals, and much more.

Building enthusiasm for ocean conservation – Over the past three years, you might have come across the billboards, television commercials, or web ads for the Foundation's Keep Oceans Clean campaign, which used popular Disney characters to encourage people to dispose of trash properly. The campaign was created in partnership with the Walt Disney Company, the Ad Council, the Environmental Defense Fund, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Department of the Interior, which resulted in 21 million visits to the Keep Oceans Clean website.

Strengthening Congressional commitment – Did you know that one of the only ways to create a new national marine sanctuary is through an act of Congress? It was important to the Foundation that a bi-partisan, bi-coastal caucus be formed in the House of Representatives to support funding for existing national marine sanctuaries, and to support the creation of new sanctuaries in the future. The NMSF facilitated the development of the National Marine Sanctuary Caucus in 2006. Led by Rep. Lois Capps (CA-23) and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18), it has since grown to include 26 Members of Congress and has been instrumental in giving national policy attention to your hometown sanctuary.

As we look to the next 10 years, the challenges facing our ocean are daunting. The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation will address those challenges by highlighting those special ocean places that inspire us all: our national marine sanctuaries.

We will continue to use the power of public-private partnerships and collaborations to create the greatest impact we can in advocating for national ocean policies, building awareness of national marine sanctuaries, ensuring children you know have opportunities to learn about ocean science, and motivating your community to conserve ocean resources.

Now, more than ever, we need to engage the public on the importance of our ocean's health.

Now, more than ever, we need your help.

Click "Donate" button below to contribute using your credit card.

Photos:
Humpback whale, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary | Photo by Anne Smrcina
Stetson Bank, Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary | Photo by G.P. Schmahl
John Austin of the Brookings Institution speaks at CHOW 2010 | Photo by Eddie Arrossi