Winter 2011

National Marine Sanctuaries

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Featured: 

RECREATION

Fishing in the Sanctuaries Page 7

Astonishing Tales from 

the Sanctuaries:

Bruckner Chase

Star of the Sea:

KELLY SLATER Page 4

Astonishing Tales
DIRECTOR’SLETTER

DIVISION chief Michiko Martin

editor Matt Dozier

Design/Layout Matt McIntosh

 Copy editors Matt Dozier

Sharon Sirkis

contributors Emily Crum

Matt Dozier

 Tracy Hajduk

Matt McIntosh

Mike Murray

Joe Paulin

Valarie Thorpe

Sarah Van Schagen 

Cover Art: ©iStockPhoto/Ljupco 

SANCTUARY WATCH is a publication of the Communications, Outreach and Education Division of 

the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. NOAA is an agency of the U.S. Department 

of Commerce.

2

4

7

9

11

Surfing Sanctuaries

Kelly Slater

Gone Fishing

Young Scuba Divers

Sanctuaries Inspire Art

IN EVERY ISSUE

1 NEWS SPLASH 4 STAR OF THE SEA 5 CRITTER FILES 12 SANCTUARY VOICES

13 SANCTUARY SNAPSHOT 14 SANCTUARY SYSTEM

Recreation in 

Sanctuaries

In this Issue

Recreation in our national marine sanctuaries represents a fundamental 

American value, and a driver of jobs and the economy. Protecting this 

ethic and lifestyle is paramount in our mandate. 

I grew up loving being on the water and spending time off Long Island fishing with 

my friends. It was those experiences that taught me not only how to catch fish, but 

to appreciate the ocean and all it has to offer. From my time on the water I learned 

about the ocean, about wind, waves, tides, currents and marine life. I also learned 

to boat, swim and dive, all for recreation. I essentially learned about ecosystems 

around the world and especially in sanctuary waters. Sanctuaries provide so much 

for all of us, yet not everyone seems to understand what sanctuaries are. 

A recent survey by the Ocean Project asked Americans the question, “What are 

national marine sanctuaries?” Many responded that they believe sanctuaries are 

areas closed to fishing and other recreational activities. The fact of the matter is 

that just two percent of sanctuary waters are closed to any type of recreation. 

Does the dictionary have it wrong? If you look up “sanctuaries,” it reads: 

sanc·tu·ar·ies noun pl. (1) a place of refuge and protection; (2) a refuge for wildlife 

where predators are controlled and hunting is illegal. Is our title adding to the 

confusion about the role of sanctuaries? I think the answer is both yes and no.

The first definition is the correct one, as it applies to national marine sanctuaries. 

Sanctuaries are places of refuge, places where Americans can enjoy recreation from 

swimming to fishing to scuba diving. They are, of course, also areas of protection. 

Because without protecting our underwater ecosystems from injury due to overuse 

or other impacts, many recreational opportunities would not be possible. This is why 

sanctuaries provide the public a voice in their long-term goals and planning.

The second definition, however, is at the root of some of the misconceptions about 

sanctuaries. While the primary purpose of the National Marine Sanctuary System 

is to protect these areas, we also allow compatible uses that include all types of 

recreation. On that note, 98 percent of all national marine sanctuary waters are 

open to recreational fishing, diving, surfing and swimming activities, to name a few. 

In this issue of Sanctuary Watch, we wanted to share some stories about the 

value of having these areas open for recreation and explore the diverse leisure 

activities within the sanctuary system.

So, dive in! Sanctuaries are your place of refuge, and careful management of these 

areas ensures the long-term protection of our nation’s underwater treasures for 

the enjoyment of all Americans.

Sincerely,

Daniel J. Basta, Director

Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

Astonishing Tales 

 from the Sanctuaries:

 Bruckner Chase

Page 8 Astonishing Tales
Winter 2011 Sanctuary Watch 1

NEWSSPLASH

IMAX Film Producers Kick off Global Ocean Campaign

National Marine Sanctuaries Partner with MacGillivray Freeman Films on “One World Ocean” Initiative

NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the world’s leading producer of giantscreen IMAX films will support each other’s 

commitment to improve the health of the ocean 

with a new campaign, “One World Ocean.” MacGillivray Freeman Films of Laguna Beach, Calif., 

launched the multi-year, multi-platform global 

media project, which will include an IMAX 3D 

film, an eight-part 3D television series, a theatrical 3D documentary, a Web series, museum 

exhibits, companion books, a social action campaign and more. NOAA will provide scientific and 

Photo: MacGillivray Freeman Films

On Jan. 13, the Office of National Marine 

Sanctuaries announced the appointment of 

Malia Chow as the new superintendent of Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Chow has worked for NOAA for 

the past 10 years, serving most recently as the 

sanctuary’s management plan review coordinator. Previously, she was a policy analyst for the 

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, which became the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

Chow was raised on the island of O’ahu. 

She received a bachelor of science degree 

from the University of Washington and a Ph.D. 

in cellular biology from the University of Pennsylvania. She will be located at the sanctuary’s Honolulu office in Hawai’i Kai.

New Sanctuary

Superintendent

Announced

Maritime heritage archaeologists working 

with the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries have found the wreckage of the infamous 

1800s Nantucket whaling ship Two Brothers 

on a reef off French Frigate Shoals in the remote Papahānaumokuākea Marine National 

Monument, nearly 600 miles northwest of 

Honolulu. The Two Brothers was captained by 

George Pollard Jr., whose previous Nantucket 

whaling vessel, the Essex, was sunk by a whale 

and became the inspiration for Herman Melville’s famous novel, Moby-Dick. 

A 2008 research expedition to Papahānaumokuākea provided the initial clues about the 

final resting place of the Two Brothers, when 

maritime archaeologists spotted a large anchor followed by other artifacts pointing to 

the wreckage of a whaler from the early 19th 

Lost Whaling Ship Discovered at Papahānaumokuākea 

Wreck Identified as Two Brothers, Linked to “Moby-Dick”

Photo: Greg McFall

educational support for the outreach programs 

and media projects destined for international 

museums and science centers, as well as television and Web-based media.

At the heart of this endeavor is MacGillivray 

Freeman’s dedication to producing films for global audiences that celebrate and inspire conservation of the ocean. Prior ocean-themed IMAX 

films by MacGillivray Freeman received Academy 

Award nominations, and their film Coral Reef 

Adventure helped raise hundreds of thousands 

of dollars for ocean conservation projects. With 

more than $1 billion in worldwide box office success after 35 years in the business, MacGillivray 

Freeman is committed to making One World 

Ocean a monumental experience that will reach, 

connect and inspire millions. 

Filming for One World Ocean started last 

year and will continue at 40 locations around 

the world over four years, resulting in 10 hours 

of programming anchored by a 40-minute 3D 

IMAX theatre film produced by MacGillivray 

Freeman. The promotional campaign will begin in 2012 and the television and film releases will premiere in 2015.

century. Additional missions in 2009 and 2010 

supported that claim, and historical research 

led the team to identify the lost ship as the Two 

Brothers. The discovery is an exciting addition 

to our knowledge of the history of whaling and 

how it connected diverse places and cultures 

around the world.
2 Sanctuary Watch Winter 2011

Mavericks. Waimea Bay. Pipeline. 

The names evoke images of 

pumping surf, the raw beauty of 

ocean swells exploding on solid reefs, and 

crowds gathered to watch in awe as expert 

surfers take on world-class waves.

These places are some of the most revered surf spots on Earth, but there’s another thing they have in common, something 

that few people realize: They are all found 

within national marine sanctuaries.

Surfing’s Hawaiian Roots

A deep spiritual connection to the 

ocean is ingrained in Hawaiian culture. 

One of the best-known expressions of this 

connection is through the sport of surfing, 

which can be traced back through Hawaiian 

ancestry to the art of he’e nalu, or “wave 

sliding.” Dr. Carlos Andrade, director of 

the Kamakaküokalani Center for Hawaiian 

Studies, said Hawaiian royalty — men and 

women alike — were noted for their ability 

as surfers. In fact, Andrade said, the whole 

of the population celebrated the activity, 

with entire villages emptying to go surfing 

when the waves arose.

Over time, surfing has grown from its Hawaiian roots to become a global phenomenon. 

The art of wave sliding has evolved to include 

big wave charging, barrel riding, and spectacular aerial maneuvers. But while surfing 

has become a part of mainstream culture, for 

many surfers it’s a way of life symbolized by 

the same link to the ocean felt by the sport’s 

originators on the shores of Hawai’i.

“Surfing is one of the greatest gifts 

Hawai’i gave to the world,” says Stuart 

Coleman, author of “Eddie Would Go,” and 

the Hawai’i regional coordinator for the 

Surfrider Foundation. 

Riding Waves in the Sanctuaries

Hawai’i may be the birthplace of surfing, 

but it is by no means the only place with 

great waves. National marine sanctuaries 

encompass some of the nation’s most celebrated places for ocean recreation — surfing included. In fact, sanctuaries feature 

high-profile professional contests at some 

of the largest rideable waves in the world, 

from Mavericks in central California to the 

Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau at 

Waimea Bay on the North Shore of O’ahu.

The legendary “shoot-outs” between 

surfing champions Kelly Slater and Andy 

Irons at Pipeline, arguably the most famous 

wave on Earth, took place within the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National 

Marine Sanctuary, one of the most important humpback whale mating, calving and 

nursing grounds in the world. 

2 Sanctuary Watch Winter 2011

Several of the world’s most famous surf spots are found within the sanctuaries, like Pipeline (above) and 

Waimea Bay (background) on the famous North Shore of O’ahu. 

Photo: Walker Langley

Surfing in the National 

Catching the Wave
Winter 2011 Sanctuary Watch 3

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the largest marine sanctuary, is home 

to the powerful and massive waves of Mavericks, as well as more modest — but no 

less popular — breaks like Steamer Lane 

in Santa Cruz, Calif. Countless other surf 

spots can be found throughout the coastal 

waters of the sanctuary system, supporting 

thriving recreational use and tourism.

Conservation: A Common Goal

“Conservation and surfing are like two 

sides of the same coin,” said Dr. Marc Lammers, a cetacean biologist and assistant researcher at the Hawai’i Institute of Marine 

Biology. “I don’t know how you could be 

a surfer and not care about the marine environment. Surfers and sanctuaries pretty 

much care about the same thing: the wellbeing of the ocean.”

Clean water, trash-free beaches and 

healthy ecosystems are just a few of the 

shared concerns that matter to the surfing 

community and sanctuary managers alike. 

Water quality, in particular, is an issue that 

presents opportunities for surfers and sanctuaries to work together.

“[Surfers] are indicators when it comes 

to water quality,” said Coleman. “We’re 

the first to experience it and the first to get 

sick.” Sanctuary staff throughout the U.S. 

mainland and Pacific Islands are working 

with community members, agencies and 

organizations like the Surfrider Foundation 

on efforts to improve water quality and reduce marine debris. 

Lammers, an avid surfer and former 

sanctuary advisory council member, said 

marine debris is an ever-present reminder 

of our impact on the ocean environment. 

“When you spend a lot of time on the water you start to notice that there’s plastic 

bags everywhere and all kinds of debris,” 

he explained. 

Protecting the Waves

Surfers spend countless hours in the 

ocean connecting with nature, becoming 

immersed in their surroundings and soaking 

up an intimate knowledge of local coasts, 

beaches, and reefs. “Surfers are familiar 

with the wildness of the sea,” said Dr. Michael McGinnis, a coastal California native, 

lifelong surfer, and professor of Environmental Policy and Governance at the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. “Even though many of us were raised 

in suburban environments, it was the sea 

that taught us the first lessons of wildness, 

and why we need to protect wild places.”

Indeed, surfers can bring valuable knowledge and experience to the cause of conserving and managing our national marine 

sanctuaries. They are welcome additions 

to sanctuary advisory councils, volunteer 

programs, and other organizations engaged 

in ocean conservation. “We spend so much 

time in the water we could be first responders,” suggested Coleman.

“I think that the more you surf and just 

enjoy the ocean, the more appreciation you 

have for it,” said Doug Cole, executive director of the North Shore Community Land 

Trust. “Sometimes you just have to get out 

there in it to remind yourself that — wow — 

this really is a special place, and we could 

do more to keep it special and help others in 

their work to keep it healthy.” 

The contributors of this article are surfers 

who work with Channel Islands and Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale national marine sanctuaries. We were deeply saddened 

by the recent passing of Andy Irons. Our 

thoughts and best wishes go out to the Irons 

Family, friends, and all those whose lives 

Andy touched and inspired.

Background Photo: Fiona Langenberger

Use your smartphone 

to scan this code for 

additional photos, 

videos and more from 

the top sanctuary 

surf spots, or visit:

http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/qr/surfing

Winter 2011 Sanctuary Watch 3

 Marine Sanctuaries

 by Joe Paulin & Mike Murray
4 Sanctuary Watch Winter 2011

STARoftheSEA

Surfing’s Greatest Champion Speaks out for Ocean Conservation

Kelly Slater | Professional Surfer

All the time Kelly has spent in the water has made him keenly aware of the many 

threats — declining water quality, for instance — that are harming sensitive ocean 

ecosystems and posing grave risks to the health of surfers and other ocean users.

“When we surf after the first rain of the year, a lot of people get sick because so

much washes out of the rivers and streams,” he said. “Surfers are some of the first

ones to experience those impacts.”

Recently, Kelly spent time filming The Ultimate 

Wave Tahiti 3D, a cutting-edge IMAX film that documents the beauty and culture of Tahiti and historic

surf of Teahupo’o, considered by experts to be one

of the world’s most extreme waves. NOAA personnel

served as scientific advisors for the film and helped

develop the companion “Educator’s Guide,” which

provides teachers with additional ocean science information and lesson plans.

While on location in Tahiti, Kelly also collaborated with NOAA to produce a PSA

promoting NOAA’s “Please Care” campaign to encourage ocean-friendly practices

in our daily lives, from recycling to making “green” consumer choices. He said he 

welcomed the opportunity to bring attention to the cause of keeping our ocean and

coasts in good condition for the future.

“This is something we can all make a difference in,” Kelly said. “As surfers, we

owe it to ourselves and to each other to work toward a cleaner, healthier ocean.”

Ten-time surfing world champion.

One of GQ magazine’s “25 coolest athletes” of all time. The most dominant

competitive surfer in the history of the sport. A living legend. 

When it comes to Kelly Slater, the list of accolades goes on and on. During his 20-

year career, he has crisscrossed the planet in search of 

perfect waves, winning 45 world tour events and capturing theAssociation of Surfing Professionals title a record

10 times. But on top of his unparalleled surfing success,

this soft-spoken native of Cocoa Beach, Fla., is also a

champion of responsible stewardship of the ocean.

On countless occasions, Kelly’s travels have

brought him to the waters of our national marine sanctuaries, home to such famous surf spots as the Banzai Pipeline and Waimea Bay

in Hawai’i and Mavericks off central California. He has won no fewer than seven

major surfing tournaments in sanctuaries,most of themwithin the waters of Hawaiian

Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, which encompasses Oahu’s

famous North Shore. Many surfers ride waves within the sanctuaries, Kelly said, 

without realizing these areas are part of the National Marine Sanctuary System.

“I think it’s worth letting people know that these amazing places are protected,

both for their natural beauty and their recreational value,” he said.

Photo: Greg Rabejac

Kelly Slater, the most successful professional 

surfer in history, has won numerous tournaments 

in the waters of the national marine sanctuaries. 

Photo: Bernard Testemale

Scan here to watch an ocean PSA

featuring Kelly Slater, or visit:

http://www.noaa.gov/features/

04_resources/psa.html
Winter 2011 Sanctuary Watch 5

Common name: ........................... Red Lionfish

Scientific name: ....................... Pterois volitans

Max. Length: ...................................... 20 inches

Max. Weight: ....................................2.6 pounds

Distribution: .........Native to South Pacific and 

Indian Oceans; non-native in U.S. 

Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, 

and eastern South American waters

Diet: ................................Fish and invertebrates

Status: ..................................... Not threatened

With distinctive reddish and white stripes, gracefully 

flowing fins and menacing spines, few fish embody the

beauty, mystery and danger of the ocean quite like the

red lionfish.

The long, venomous spines that cover these fish

are mainly defensive, delivering a painful sting that 

deters potential predators (including humans). It’s such

a formidable form of protection that very few creatures

are known to eat lionfish, leaving them free to dine on a

menu ofmore than 50 species of fish and invertebrates.

Lionfish can reach lengths of up to 20 inches

and live for as long as 15 years. These fast-growing fish become sexually mature in less than a

year, and a single female can spawn more than two 

million eggs each year. Larvae can hitch rides on 

ocean currents, traveling great distances. All this 

can add up to a lot of lionfish.

Although native to the Indo-Pacific region, lionfish were likely introduced to the Atlantic through the

aquarium trade and are now found along the East 

Coast of the U.S. from North Carolina to Florida and

in the Bahamas and Caribbean.

Far from their natural home, lionfish aren’t welcome. Their lack of predators, voracious appetite,

rapid reproduction and fast growth spell trouble for

the balance of invaded ecosystems and fisheries,

since they can quickly out-eat and out-breed their

native competitors. Imagine a coral reef with nothing 

but lionfish — it isn’t as pretty, or as healthy, as a reef

filled with a variety of colorful fish.

In Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, however, local residents are being encouraged to take

a stand by removing as many lionfish as possible.

“Derbies” hosted by the sanctuary and the Reef Environmental Education Foundation offer prizes to the

teams rounding up the biggest catches, in addition

to educating divers on how to safely handle — and 

eat — these spiny invaders. Photo Credit: Ed Lyman

CRITTERFILES

Native Range

Invasive Range

Use your smartphone 

to scan this QR code or 

visit http://sanctuaries.

noaa.gov/qr/lionfish for 

lionfish videos, recipes

and fishing tips!

beautiful invaders

red
6 Sanctuary Watch Winter 2011

Fishing is a popular recreational activity throughout the 

national marine sanctuaries. Thousands of people enjoy the 

sport in sanctuary waters every year, generating millions of 

dollars in communities like the Florida Keys. 

Photo: Larry Keller
Winter 2011 Sanctuary Watch 7

Gone

Fishing

Curlett will spend the rest of the day fishing in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Like many recreational fishermen, 

he says the experience of being out on the 

water is just as important as catching fish. 

“You do it for the enjoyment, for the escape 

— for the thrill of seeing what’s out there,” 

he said. “It makes you feel reborn.”

A Passion for the Water

For Curlett, a yacht broker who has lived 

in the Keys for the past 26 years, fishing is 

a way of connecting with nature and spending time with his family and friends. On the 

West Coast, Eric Kett, who has been fishing 

and diving in and around California’s Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary for 

more than 20 years, echoed Curlett’s sentiments. “When you’re fishing with someone, 

it’s one of the last places where you are really spending time together, and you can really get to know them,” Kett said.

An avid spearfisherman, Kett got hooked 

on the sport as a student at UC Santa Barbara, and has since worked as a dive instructor and charter boat captain in the area. 

“Fishing is about a passion for adventure,” 

he said. 

Curlett, whose father taught him to fish 

at age five, passed on the tradition to his son 

and daughter when they were young. With 

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary 

on his doorstep, he said he is keenly aware 

of the importance of protecting our marine 

ecosystems for future generations to enjoy. 

“I’m a believer in marine protected areas, 

when science says we need them,” he said.

Conservation, Confusion and Conflict

A common misconception among recreational anglers is that national marine sanctuaries are restricted, or shut off to the public. 

“We are surrounded by protected, preserved 

waters [in the Florida Keys] — but protected 

doesn’t mean closed,” Curlett clarified. 

In fact, just two percent of national marine 

sanctuary waters is closed to any kind of recreational activity. Recreational fishing is both 

a popular and economically important activity in many sanctuary communities. Fishermen like Curlett, Kett and Mick Menigoz, a 

charter boat captain based in the San Francisco Bay Area, have all spent countless hours 

pursuing fish in the waters of the National 

Marine Sanctuary System. “I spend more 

than two-thirds of my time in the sanctuaries 

outside San Francisco Bay, mostly Gulf of 

the Farallones and Monterey Bay,” said Menigoz, who takes parties of up to 30 people 

on fishing excursions in his 65-foot boat.

Despite this, the many types of marine 

protected areas — sanctuaries and refuges 

and reserves, marine parks and monuments 

and conservation areas — can make it hard 

to figure out exactly what uses are allowed 

where. “In general, sanctuaries don’t prevent 

fishing, and neither do many MPAs,” Kett 

said. “But the definitions are not always the 

same nationally, and that causes confusion.”

Preserving Fishing for the Future

Ask Jack Curlett why he supports sanctuaries, and he will tell you that much has 

changed in the Florida Keys since he first 

started fishing there in 1985. “When I came 

to the Keys 26 years ago, it wasn’t unusual 

to go out and have a great day of fishing, 

but you would hear people say, ‘You should 

have seen it 25 years ago,’” Curlett said. “I 

find myself telling people the same thing 

today.” He says the fish are smaller and less 

numerous now, which he attributes in part to 

better fish-finding technology.

Framed in terms of ensuring that our children and grandchildren have plenty of fish to 

catch, most fishermen are in favor of marine 

conservation. “I don’t think there’s a single 

fisherman out there who wants to hear that that 

fish he’s catching is the last one,” Kett said. 

Today, Curlett said, more fishermen and 

fishing groups are already pushing for conservation measures like catch limits and gear restrictions. “I think people are more aware today that this resource is diminishing,” he said.

Voice of the Community

One way national marine sanctuaries ensure recreational fishermen have a voice in 

sanctuary management is through sanctuary 

advisory councils. Curlett, Kett and Menigoz are all involved in their local advisory 

councils, each representing the interests of 

community stakeholders and providing input to their sanctuary superintendent.

Curlett has served on the Florida Keys 

Sanctuary Advisory Council since 2004, 

when he learned of an open seat on the council. “I wanted to do something!” he said. 

“This water is our resource, it’s my resource.”

After all, Curlett knows the value of a 

day out on the water in a healthy, thriving 

national marine sanctuary.

It’s before dawn in North Key Largo, Fla., and Jack Curlett is already out on the water. He guides his 18-foot 

skiff through the channels of Florida Bay in the ethereal early-morning light, gliding past spoonbills and egrets 

wading in the shallows. As the sun rises, it streaks the inky purple waters with shimmering orange and gold, 

spreading until the entire bay seems bathed in fire and the divide between sea and sky almost disappears.

by Matt Dozier
8 Sanctuary Watch Winter 2011

Ahead lay an epic journey across Monterey 

Bay National Marine Sanctuary, one that 

few people had ever attempted.

Shortly after 4 a.m., Bruckner took a deep breath and plunged into the bottomless 

darkness. The water was like an icy shower, cold enough to send most swimmers scrambling 

for the boat. He took his first confident strokes of the grueling 14-hour voyage.

Santa Cruz

Monterey

Bruckner’s heroic feat inspired people to care 

about the ocean, but he wasn’t done yet. “I’m 

off,” he said, “to swim more sanctuaries!”

Bruckner soon realized he wasn’t alone. He brushed against something, and his skin 

started to burn. Jellyfish. Tens of thousands of jellyfish, surrounding him on all sides. 

But he persevered, braving their stings with every stroke for a superhuman 28 miles!

Astonishing Tales

Mild-mannered Bruckner Chase gazed out over Monterey Bay, the surface 

of the water sparkling under a full moon. It looked peaceful, but he sensed 

trouble beneath the waves. Bruckner had heard the ocean’s cry for help. 

He knew what he had to do: 

To be continued !

Swim!

Illustrations: Matt McIntosh

 National Marine Sanctuaries

from the
Winter 2011 Sanctuary Watch 9

When Kwadjo Tillman got the opportunity 

to scuba dive on a century-old shipwreck 

at the bottom of Thunder Bay National 

Marine Sanctuary, he jumped in feet-first — literally. 

Bubbles swirled around Kwadjo’s mask as he 

plunged into Lake Huron, the burden of his heavy 

scuba gear suddenly light in the buoyant underwater world. Down he drifted, peering into the bluegreen void. The rhythmic noise of his scuba regulator filled his ears. A hulking shape loomed out of 

the depths: the wreck of the 235-foot steamship 

Montana, lying fragmented and algae-covered on 

the lake bottom for nearly 100 years.

A 17-year-old aspiring marine scientist from 

Fairfield, Iowa, Kwadjo was one of three young 

members of the National Association of Black Scuba Divers (NABS) who traveled to Alpena, Mich., 

last summer to participate in a scientific expedition 

to the Montana. He worked side-by-side with underwater archaeologists as they searched for clues 

about the history of the ship, which caught fire and 

sank in 70 feet of water in an area known as “Shipwreck Alley” in 1914.

The highlight of the mission came when Kwadjo 

and two of his fellow NABS members discovered 

not one, but two, previously unidentified shipwrecks while searching for artifacts on the bottom 

of the lake. As these young team members found 

out firsthand, there are still plenty of secrets in our 

national marine sanctuaries waiting to be uncovered 

by the next generation of underwater explorers.

“There is no better way to get up-close and personal with the sea 

than scuba diving,” Kwadjo said. “It’s great recreational activity and 

can only be equated to sinking into another world.”

Partnerships like the one with NABS are among the many ways 

the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries works to get young people 

interested in ocean recreation. Scuba diving is an important economic 

activity for many coastal communities, and encouraging new scuba 

divers helps promote continued interest and participation in the sport.

Last year, NABS brought its Youth Educational Summit to Florida 

Keys National Marine Sanctuary, giving students like Kwadjo the 

chance to experience these special underwater places for themselves. 

“We will do anything that gets the kids in the water and excited,” said 

NABS member Ken Stewart.

As Kwadjo and countless other young divers already know, the 

best way to gain an appreciation for the underwater world is to see 

it with your own eyes. Through diverse partnerships and outreach 

efforts, the national marine sanctuaries are providing more and more 

opportunities for our future ocean leaders to do just that.

Young Divers Discover the 

Wonders of the Deep

Taking the 

Plunge

by Tracy Hajduk

Clockwise from top left: Kwadjo Tillman checks his scuba gear before a dive in Thunder Bay National 

Marine Sanctuary; diving over the side of the boat ; Kwadjo flashes a peace sign underwater; a 

research diver documents the massive steam engine of the shipwreck Montana.

Top Photos: Michelle Johnston; Bottom Photo: Tane Casserley
10 Sanctuary Watch Winter 2011

Art submitted to the Massachusetts Marine Art 

Contest (left, top) showcases the talent of K-12 students inspired by the creatures of Stellwagen Bank. 

Gary Powell’s shot of a nudibranch (right) won the 

2010 Thank You Ocean Photography Contest.
Winter 2011 Sanctuary Watch 11

“

When I get back from a dive trip, I’m absolutely refreshed, energized and excited, and I want to tell everybody what I’ve seen and how incredible it was.”

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 

volunteer Jacqui Stanley has been scuba diving from a very young 

age. Currently an art teacher working with the Young Audiences of 

Houston program, she’s also an avid painter. Recently, she’s been 

combining her love of the ocean and art, creating artwork inspired 

by her dive trips to the Flower Garden Banks in the Gulf of Mexico.

Ocean Art: Drawing People to the Sea

What is it about the ocean that inspires Stanley to “pull out her 

paints” as soon as she hits shore? “The ocean is part of our consciousness — when you go to the ocean, you can just watch people 

and see that we’re all attracted to it,” she says. “It’s just magnificent.”

Stanley hopes to spread that enthusiasm by using her artwork to 

share the treasures of the Flower Garden Banks with others, from students in Houston’s low-income schools to art enthusiasts at the 

Galveston Art Walk. Often, they are shocked to discover what’s beneath the surface of the sanctuary, 

she says. “People just do not think that 

this beautiful place exists just 

100 miles off the coast of 

Texas and Louisiana, 

and they always ask 

me if it’s real.”

Photographer Gary 

Powell can relate. Powell, who 

recently won first place in the Thank 

You Ocean Photography Contest for his photo of a 

nudibranch in California’s Morro Bay, co-founded the website 

BelowMorroBay.com to highlight the bay’s “spectacular” abundance 

of marine life. “Right off our coast, we have such a great resource, 

and we just love bringing the images to the surface to show people,” 

Powell said in an interview on ThankYouOcean.org.

Educating & Inspiring Young Artists

Another creative competition with a watery theme is hosted by 

the Massachusetts Marine Educators in association with Stellwagen 

Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Their annual Marine Art Contest 

asks K-12 students to submit artwork featuring the “amazing ocean 

creatures” of Stellwagen Bank, with categories ranging from posters 

to computer graphics. The contest receives nearly 400 entries a year 

from students around the world, and the winning artists get to see 

their artwork showcased in a traveling art exhibit.

“[Art] is a wonderful opportunity to teach across content areas,” 

Stanley says. During live online educational broadcasts hosted by sanctuary staff on the 2010 Aquarius Mission: “If Reefs Could Talk,” she 

and scientist Dr. John Burke hosted an art segment in which they described and illustrated creatures in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, then invited students watching the program to create and send in 

their own illustrations. Stanley says she was “blown away” by the level 

of detail in the students’ work.

“Art is an amazing tool because it allows the person to express 

themselves through the ocean ... It really speaks to their own interpretation of what the ocean is like, so they come to care about it, and 

when they care about it, they’re more likely to look after it.”

Oceanof

An

Inspiration

by Sarah van Schagen

Photo: Gary Powell
12 Sanctuary Watch Winter 2011

Terry Gibson

President, North Swell Media & Consulting

For more than a decade,

I’ve consulted and volunteered

for some of the most respected conservation groups, while 

enjoying various editorial jobs

at prominent outdoor enthusiast magazines, including 

Surfer Magazine, Saltwater 

Fly Fishing, Florida Sportsman and Outdoor Life. Those jobs keep me in and on the

water — surfing, fishing and diving in natural areas throughout the Americas and

beyond. They also keep me connected with some of the best resource managers

and marine scientists, which helps inform what I observe in my watery wanders.

Where managers work closely with knowledgeable stakeholders and scientists to create well-managed protected areas, it’s clear to me that ecological

diversity, abundance and resilience are better conserved and enhanced, as are

the fishing, diving and surfing within such areas. Call them what you will: marine

protected areas, sanctuaries, parks. But given the many serious threats to our 

oceans and coasts, we need to make sure that the National Marine Sanctuaries 

Act gets reauthorized and adequate funding is provided to protect and enhance 

our resources and water-loving ways of life. 

Protected areas place layers of protection around the resources, while providing public forums for improving the management of the resources. One of my

favorite cases in point involves seagrass protection in the protected area that I 

fish and dive in most frequently, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Careless boaters were running out of the channels and scarring the vital seagrass

flats in Florida Bay. I’d fished those areas for bonefish, tarpon and permit often

enough to know the flats fishing guides’ frustration with personal watercraft users and pleasure boaters that were tearing up the resources and scaring off the

target, catch-and-release species that bring millions of fishing tourism dollars into

the Keys economy. 

When scientists advocated for a “pole and troll” boating zone that would restrict the use of combustion engines, knee-jerk reactions from fishing pundits

warned that such zones were just a plot to limit fishing access. Fortunately, trust

between stakeholders and managers had already been established through the

Florida Keys SanctuaryAdvisory Committee. Members and managers worked cooperatively to design and implement these zones in ways that preserved reasonable access while achieving the explicit conservation goal of protecting seagrass.

Soon, guides were asking for more no-combustion-engine zones, because the

existing zones had made things better for the fish and fishermen. It’s worth noting

that “pole and troll” zones have been successfully replicated and accepted for the

same reasons in other protected areas, such as the Cape Canaveral National

Seashore, where the popular red drum had become nervous wrecks due to so

many boats motoring over the flats.

I’ve been to places like the Dry Tortugas National Park, where several of the

most important spawning sites in the region — the “fountainheads” of important 

fish populations — are off-limits and guarded against poaching. Last May, I had

the chance to make a bunch of dives on a mutton snapper aggregation there

with biologists from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. I saw

more mutton snapper and nesting ocean triggerfish during any one dive than I’ve

seen in a hundred dives off southeast mainland Florida over the past few years.

The final design of Dry Tortugas and its no-take areas came about because

scientists and managers worked closely with knowledgeable fishermen to figure

out the most important places to protect from human impacts including fishing

to the greatest extent practicable. There’s considerable anecdotal evidence

and some oceanographic reasons to believe that mutton snapper fishing has

improved far up the coast because the spawning aggregations in that sanctuary

are protected. The vast majority of local fishermen, myself included, would not

support reopening those areas to fishing.

My point is that these success stories came about because of healthy dialogue

and debate between scientists, managers, and knowledgeable stakeholders including anglers, commercial fishermen and divers. Right now, elected officials and

decision-makers are hearing too much from some unenlightened fishermen about

“bad data” and draconian management measures. They need to hear more from

those of us with positive experiences working with managers of protected areas. 

Our leaders need to understand that protected areas provide opportunities 

to make better, fairer management decisions, decisions that will keep us in and

on the water for the long haul. We need funding to manage and improve existing 

protected areas through habitat restoration, and we need more protected areas

such as national marine sanctuaries, period. 

Sanctuary Voices is a guest column featuring views and opinions from the national 

marine sanctuary community.

SANCTUARYVOICES

Photo: Terry Gibson
SANCTUARYSNAPSHOT Wildlife watching is one of the many popular activities offered by the national marine sanctuaries. In this photo taken by Winter 2011 Sanctuary Watch Roger Con13rad, 

National Park Service Ranger Ian Williams shows visitors a sea lion haul-out on San Miguel Island, just beyond the waters of Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.
The Office of National 

Marine Sanctuaries

is part of NOAA’s 

National Ocean Service.

SANCTUARYSYSTEM

1305 East-West Highway

Silver Spring MD 20910

301-713-3125

http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov

The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries serves as the trustee for a system of 14 special ocean areas, encompassing more 

than 150,000 square miles of ocean and Great Lakes waters. The system includes 13 national marine sanctuaries and the 

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The sanctuary system is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which manages sanctuaries by working cooperatively with the public to protect sanctuaries while maintaining 

compatible recreational and commercial activities. Sanctuary staff work to enhance public awareness of our nation’s marine resources 

and maritime heritage through scientific research, monitoring, exploration, educational programs and outreach.

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Vision - People value 

marine sanctuaries as treasured 

places protected for future 

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trustee for the nation’s system of 

marine protected areas to conserve, protect and enhance their 

biodiversity, ecological integrity 

and cultural legacy.