An official website of the United States government.								Here's how you know we're official.				

##### dot gov icon**Official websites use .gov**

A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

##### https icon**Secure websites use HTTPS**

A small lock or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to a .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

National Ocean ServiceNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

              -  Home 
              -  Ocean Facts 
              -  TOPICS ****                  - Explore All Topics
                - Careers
                - Economy
                - Ecosystems
                - Geodesy
                - Hazards
                - Navigation
                - Observations
                - Ocean
                - Recreation
                - Sea Level Rise 
                - Story Maps
                - Tools 
              -  Education 
              -  News 
              -  Podcasts 
              -  Video 
              -  Images 
              -  About Us 

HomeAboutNOS Fiscal Year 2014 Annual Report

# Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

## NOS Fiscal Year 2014 Annual Report

## NOAA Reestablishes the Sanctuary Nomination Process

            -  **Supports NOS priority**: place-based conservation 

In  June 2014, NOAA’s Office  of National Marine Sanctuaries published the final  rule that reestablished the Sanctuary Nomination Process. The updated process,  developed with input from more than 18,000 public comments, allows the American  people to nominate nationally significant marine and Great Lakes areas for potential  designation as national marine sanctuaries. The final rule addresses growing  interest from communities, state and tribal governments, Congress, and  nongovernmental organizations. John Podesta, Counselor  to the President, announced publication of the final  rule at Capitol Hill Oceans Week in June 2014. More information can be found on  the Sanctuaries Nomination  Process website.

----

## 38th Voyage of the Historic *Charles W. Morgan*

            -  **Supports NOS priority**: place-based conservation 

The  170-year-old whaling ship *Charles  W. Morgan* embarked on its 38th voyage in May 2014,  departing its home port of Mystic Seaport, Connecticut. The historic vessel  returned in August, after spending the summer sailing New England on a mission  of whale education and conservation, making stops in Boston, Provincetown, Newport,  and other places. In some ports, visitors toured the restored ship and explored  the accompanying shore-side attractions, which included a tent staffed by NOAA’s Office of National  Marine Sanctuaries, the Sanctuary Advisory Council, and other  volunteers. The public learned about local whale populations, whale  research, and whale  watching in Massachusetts’s Stellwagen Bank National Marine  Sanctuary. 

From  July 11-13, the ship continued its historic 38th voyage with a visit to the  Sanctuary. The ship’s three-day journey through the sanctuary was broadcast on OceansLIVE,  allowing thousands of viewers to connect to the expedition via exclusive  streaming footage. Interviews were broadcast live from the ship’s deck and from  the OceansLIVE studio in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

----

## Proposal to Expand Two California National Marine Sanctuaries

            -  **Supports NOS priority**: place-based conservation 

In  April 2014, NOAA’s Office  of National Marine Sanctuaries announced a proposal  to expand the boundaries of California’s Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries by a combined 2,775 square miles. The proposed  expansion would protect the distinctive marine ecosystems off Marin, Sonoma, and  Mendocino Counties to the north and west of current sanctuary boundaries. These  areas, including North America’s most intense upwelling site off Point Arena, play a major role in nourishing the sanctuaries’  extremely productive waters, which attract numerous species that travel  thousands of miles to feed there. These include endangered blue and humpback  whales, sharks, salmon, and seabirds like albatrosses and shearwaters.

----

## Inaugural Meeting of the Sanctuary System Business Advisory Council

            -  **Supports NOS priority**: place-based conservation 

NOAA’s Office of National  Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) convened the inaugural meeting  of its Sanctuary  System Business Advisory Council in January 2014.  Established to help ONMS engage its corporate partners, the council took nearly  a year to develop and is the first of its kind. The meeting included  representatives from TripAdvisor, Royal Caribbean, Johnson Outdoors, Maersk,  Hess, Disney, National Geographic, and the Rockefeller Foundation. Council  members were introduced to the sanctuary system through a series of  presentations and discussions with ONMS staff, which included what they hoped  to gain from participating in the council, ways that ONMS could engage corporations  as partners, and how the council should operate in the future. The council will  explore new ground in building cooperative and productive relationships between  national marine sanctuaries and the corporate sector.

----

## Expansion of Michigan’s Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

            -  **Supports NOS priority**: place-based conservation 

As  FY 14 drew to a close, NOAA’s Office  of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) published new  regulations that will expand the boundaries of the Thunder Bay National Marine  Sanctuary in Lake Huron nearly tenfold – from 450 square miles to 4,300 square miles – to protect an additional 100 known  and suspected shipwreck sites. The new boundaries include waters adjacent to  Alcona and Presque Isle Counties in Northeast Michigan and extend to the  international border within Lake Huron. The expansion is based on years of research by NOAA and its scientific partners, as well as  public input and widespread support from local and regional interests and  elected officials. U.S. Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) championed the expansion, citing scientific, cultural, and economic benefits for Alpena  and Northeast Michigan. The goal of the expansion is to increase protection of  the nation’s maritime heritage, support the economy, promote tourism, and build  technology partnerships with the business community, colleges and universities,  and others.

----

###### **ONMS** Top Five:

            - **NOAA Reestablishes the Sanctuary Nomination Process 
            - ** 38th Voyage of the Historic Charles W. Morgan
            - ** Proposal to Expand Two California National Marine Sanctuaries
            - ** Inaugural Meeting of the Sanctuary System Business Advisory Council
            - ** Expansion of Michigan’s Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

###### **NOS Accomplishments**

          -  Fiscal Year 2014 Highlights
          - Browse by  Priority :
          -  Coastal Resilience Priority
          -  Coastal Intelligence Priority
          -  Place-Based Conservation Priority
          - Browse by  Office :
          -  Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services Integrated Ocean Observing System
 National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
 National Geodetic Survey
 NOS Education
 Office for Coastal Management
 Office of Coast Survey
 YOU ARE HERE: 
 Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
 Office of Response and Restoration
- Provide Feedback 
-  Contact Us 
-  Report an error 
Science. Service.Stewardship.						About NOS 					- About Us
- NOS Program Offices
- Media Inquiries
- Website Acknowledgements
						Resources 					- Site Index
- Disclaimer
- Freedom of Information Act
- Accessibility
						More Resources 					- Information Quality
- Privacy Policy
- NOS For Employees
- USA.gov
-  National Ocean Service
-  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
-  Department of Commerce
						Social 					- 
- 
- 
- 
-