Extensive photography and video archives of the sanctuaries are being compiled. Many are posted on Sustainable Seas' web site. As part of the organization's outreach effort, poets, writers, geologists, natural and cultural historians, archaeologists, volunteers, teachers, members of Congress and commercial fishermen, including Native Americans around the country, were invited to submit essays about the sanctuaries. To date, more than 100 articles have been received. A goal of Sustainable Seas is to call attention to marine sanctuaries in the United States, which aren't well-known or understood by the public.
Local students are part of every expedition.
The work was serious science, underscoring the program's aim to introduce young people to the world of marine biology. Sustainable Seas Expeditions is the creation of Sylvia Earle, a renowned marine biologist and conservationist who serves as Explorer in Residence at the National Geographic Society. Earle fostered the partnership between NOAA and National Geographic, which, with substantial financial support from the Richard and Rhoda Goldman fund, has allowed the program to flourish. A goal of the project is to call attention to the nation's marine sanctuaries, which aren't well-known or understood by the public. Sustainable Seas will resume this summer with research visits to California's Channel Islands and Monterey Bay sanctuaries as well as a long stay in the Florida Keys beginning in August.