Driving support for sanctuaries!

President's plan neglects oceans, sanctuaries

President Obama has proposed a plan that could have unintended consequences for how we protect our oceans. On January 13 the president announced a government restructuring that would, among other things, transfer the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from the Department of Commerce to the Department of the Interior. NMSF President Jason Patlis issued the following statement: “While we applaud efforts to make our government more efficient, we are concerned that the plan – which seeks to reorganize the Commerce Department – treats NOAA as an afterthought.

United States and European Union Pledge to Combat Pirate Fishing

On September 7, 2011, a bilateral cooperation agreement on combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing was signed by Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator, and Maria Damanaki, European Union Commissioner for Marine Affairs and Fisheries. The agreement was signed before representatives of the European Union and the United States, including Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI), and Senator Mark Begich (D-AK), in a ceremony at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, an event supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, through its partnership with NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service.

NMSF Leads Effort to Support National Marine Sanctuaries in Implementing the Administration’s National Ocean Policy

On July 1, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation submitted comments to the National Ocean Council concerning its treatment of national marine sanctuaries within the recently released draft outline of the Strategic Action Plan (SAP) for Regional Ecosystem Protection and Restoration.

Major Announcements Released at Capitol Hill Ocean Week Press Conference

Representatives from the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative and the Metcalf Institute for Marine & Environmental Reporting made two major announcements at a joint press conference late yesterday afternoon as part of Capitol Hill Ocean Week in Washington, DC.

Ocean For Life 2011 Student Participants Announced at Qatar Earth Day Celebration

Ocean for Life 2011 will bring together 30 students from Middle Eastern and Western Nations to study in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. While attending Earth Day celebrations sponsored by Qatar Foundation International in Doha, Qatar, Jason Patlis, President and CEO of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, announced that four Qatari students had been selected by the Supreme Education Council responsible for managing the GLOBE Program in Qatar to participate in the 2011 Ocean for Life program in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.

New Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center Receives Grant Award from CA State Parks

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation received a $500,000 grant from the State of California’s Parks & Recreation department for their Sea Beyond the Beach capital campaign in support of the new Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center to be built in Santa Cruz, CA.

Community Service Payment Awarded to NMSF for Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Silver Spring, MD – On March 31, 2011, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF) received a payment of $125,000 for use in the Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary (FBNMS) in Pago Pago, American Samoa. The money was awarded as part of a plea agreement made by Koo’s Shipping Company for the unlawful disposal of waste in the ocean. The payment will be accepted by Jason Patlis, President and CEO of the Foundation.

NMSF Testifies in Support of Funding for National Marine Sanctuaries

Silver Spring, MD – On Friday, March 11, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation President and CEO Jason Patlis will testify before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies in support of funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Marine Sanctuary Program.

$5,000 Awarded in Support of Marine Animal Rescue Efforts in Hawai'i

Kihei, Hawai'i – The Robert S. and Grayce B. Kerr Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit charitable and education Oklahoma corporation, has generously donated $5,000 to the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation to support the rescue program of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

NMSF Announces 2010 Ernest F. Hollings Ocean Awareness Trust Fund Recipients

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is pleased to announce the award of five grants from the Ernest F. Hollings Ocean Awareness Trust Fund. These grants, which range from $15,000 to $24,839, fund projects that will increase public awareness of ocean resources and motivate the American public to steward those resources.

California State Coastal Conservancy Approves Grant for Sanctuary Exploration Center

The California State Coastal Conservancy has approved a $500,000 grant to the City of Santa Cruz for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center. The grant will be disbursed for use in the construction of interpretive exhibits.

2010 Ernest F. Hollings Ocean Awareness Trust Fund

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is pleased to issue a Request for Proposals for its Ernest F. Hollings Ocean Awareness Trust Fund. The Fund was established in 2005 as a tribute to the long standing commitment of former U.S. Senator Ernest F. Hollings (D-SC) to promoting public involvement and understanding of the benefits of the ocean to current and future generations.

Jean-Michel Cousteau honored for “America’s Underwater Treasures” film; announces release of four-book series

America’s national marine sanctuaries played a starring role at the BLUE Ocean Film Festival held August 24-29 in Monterey, California. The 14 federally designated marine protected areas were featured in many of the 80+ films screened during the festival, including the winner for Best Ocean Exploration and Adventure Film, “Jean-Michel Cousteau Ocean Adventures: America’s Underwater Treasures,” a feature produced by Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society.

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument designated UNESCO World Heritage Site

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation congratulates Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument on being named a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The designation was made official July 30, 2010, during the 34th World Heritage Convention in Brasilia, Brazil, when UNESCO delegates voted to inscribe the marine national monument as one of only 26 mixed (natural and cultural) World Heritage Sites globally -- and the only mixed natural and cultural seascape.

Breaking Ground at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center

Imagine being able to see a national marine sanctuary up close and explore its many underwater treasures without even getting your feet wet. On Monday, July 12, officials from Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the City of Santa Cruz, California, will break ground on a Sanctuary Exploration Center where you’ll be able to do just that.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Executive Director Julie Packard Receives NMSF Lifetime Achievement Award

In recognition of her tireless career commitment to marine conservation regionally and nationally, Monterey Bay Aquarium Executive Director Julie Packard was honored with a "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF) at its annual Leadership Awards Dinner held June 8 in Washington, DC.

Empire State Building Lit in Honor of U.N. World Oceans Day and National Marine Sanctuaries

On June 8, 2010, the most iconic building in America, New York City’s Empire State Building, was lit in honor of U.N. World Oceans Day and national marine sanctuaries. The building glowed from bottom to top in purple, blue, and white, representing the different levels of the ocean environment.

Congresswoman Lois Capps Receives NMSF Leadership Award

In appreciation of her lifelong support of the National Marine Sanctuaries and America’s oceans, Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-CA) was honored June 8 with a 2010 “Leadership Award” from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF) at its annual Leadership Awards Dinner held June 8 in Washington, DC.

Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Receives NMSF Leadership Award

In appreciation of her lifelong support of the National Marine Sanctuaries and America’s oceans, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) was honored June 8 with a 2010 “Leadership Award” from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF) at its annual Leadership Awards Dinner held June 8 in Washington, DC.