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The National Marine Sanctuary Program-National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Long-term Agreement (NMSP–NCCOS LTA)

BACKGROUND ON THE NMSP: NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program was created under the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972. The NMSP mission is to serve as a trustee for the nation’s system of marine protected areas: to conserve, protect, and enhance their biodiversity, ecological integrity, and cultural legacy.

Photo of a reef scene Currently there are 13 national marine sanctuaries that protect 18,618 square miles of ocean coastal area, and a newly designated national marine monument spanning more than 1,200 nautical miles. These include breeding grounds for whales, sea lions, and sea turtles, coral reefs, and historic landmarks such as the USS Monitor, a Civil War vessel located off the North Carolina coast. The Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act provides clear geographic boundaries scientists can use to examine, monitor, and evaluate environmental stressors caused by humans and natural events. Examples of these stressors are:

  • Non–point source pollution (e.g., runoff of soil, organic matter, and chemical and bacterial contaminants, runoff from roads and bridges, and atmospheric deposition of volatilized pollutants).
  • Point–source pollution (e.g., discharges of chemical and organic pollutants from sewage outfalls, dredge spoils disposal, and ocean dumping).
  • Commercial activities (e.g., dredging, aquaculture, kelp harvesting, commercial fisheries, underwater fiber–optic cable installation, and ecotourism).
  • Recreational activities (e.g., sport fishing, boating, wildlife observations, hiking, and camping).
  • Unpredictable anthropogenic events (e.g., hazardous material or petroleum spills, ship groundings, and introduction of non–indigenous species).

National Marine Sanctuaries allow NCCOS scientists to monitor environmental changes, natural events, and improve public understanding of coastal ecosystems through research and education to conserve, protect, and enhance coastal ecosystem resources.

Text of the Long–term Agreement

Text of the Second Long–term Agreement (LTA II)

FY 2003–2005 Research Plan | 2006 update

For more information, contact the Program Coordinator, Patricia Hay (Patricia.Hay@noaa.gov) or the Program Managers, Dr. Mark Fonseca (NCCOS) and Steve Gittings (NMSP) (Mark.Fonseca@noaa.gov, Steve.Gittings@noaa.gov).

Related Documents and Links

NCCOS Centers’ National Marine Sanctuary sites