Celebrating the National Marine Sanctuary’s 50th Anniversary

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation celebrates 50 years of protecting marine life and their homes and offers various opportunities for research, conservation, and education. Congress enacted what was known as the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act on October 23, 1972, allowing for the preservation and protection of marine areas with national, ecological, cultural or historical significance. The National Marine Sanctuaries Act was enacted following the Santa Barbara oil spill, which first spurred public concern about ocean conservation, and today it continues to expand its national system of protected waters. 

The first national marine sanctuary to be safeguarded under the new National Marine Sanctuaries Act was the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary in 1975. Beginning with only one square mile off the shores of North Carolina, the National Marine Sanctuary System has expanded to protect over 620,000 square miles of our ocean. As of October 2022, there have been 15 national marine sanctuaries and two marine national monuments included in the National Marine Sanctuary System across our ocean, coast and the Great Lakes. National marine sanctuaries span from the central Pacific across to the North Atlantic and from the Great Lakes down to the Gulf of Mexico and our very own Florida Keys. 

The most recent sanctuary to be designated was the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary in 2021. Sanctuaries still in the process of being designated include Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary, Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, and Hudson Canyon National Marine Sanctuary. As the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation’s system of waters continues to grow, so will their positive impact on ocean conservation. National marine sanctuaries are effective tools to help us protect the ocean, improve our understanding of the climate’s impact on resources, and strengthen resilience.

In 1960, in an effort to preserve coral reefs in the Keys, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park was established off of Key Largo as the world’s first underwater park. Following the development of the first park, Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary and Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary were developed in 1975 and 1981. After the need for ocean conservation in the Keys increased, President George H. Bush signed off on the bill establishing Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary in 1990. This new sanctuary incorporated the preexisting Key Largo and Looe Key sanctuaries to protect 2,800 square nautical miles of Florida Keys waters.

In just the past few years, the Florida National Marine Sanctuary has made massive accomplishments towards protecting our Florida waters. The sanctuary has conducted Hurricane Irma impact assessments and removed Cuban chugs from islands in the Florida Straits. Other major accomplishments included the permitting of critical wastewater treatment upgrades in the Keys and a Heritage Awareness Diving Seminar to teach dive instructors how to preserve shipwrecks, reefs and underwater cultural sites.

"Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary protects the wildlife, mangrove forests, coral reef, and underwater wonders that make the Keys a global destination for recreation, exploration, and scientific research,” said Kris Sarri, president and CEO of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. “As the National Marine Sanctuary System celebrates its 50-year milestone, we are working to strengthen protections in the Keys and fulfill our vision of a healthy, vibrant, and sustainable Florida Keys marine ecosystem.”

The National Marine Sanctuary has contributed a great amount to preserving our Florida Keys. The work that the National Marine Sanctuary does is crucial to the preservation of local and global waters as well as the wildlife within it. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary has conserved many of Florida's coral reefs while more than 70 different coral species in the area are threatened by climate change and disease. Since 1990, the marine sanctuary has protected 2,900 square nautical miles of the Florida Keys’ underwater ecosystems as well as the marine mammals and fish that call it home.

In the face of the rapidly changing climate and continued conservation challenges, the National Marine Sanctuary plans to keep building upon their previous achievements and the National Marine Sanctuary Act by launching a national assessment of marine biodiversity and facilitating a national system of protected waters. The foundation plans to ensure the permanent protection of marine biodiversity and our oceans.