Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary represents one of North
America's most productive marine ecosystems and spectacular undeveloped
shorelines.
In size, OCNMS covers an area comparable to the following: - 1.7 times larger than the entire Puget Sound
- Almost two and a half times larger than Olympic National Park
- The
same size as Puerto Rico
- The states of Delaware and Rhode Island
combined
Marine
wildlife thrives here. Twenty nine species of marine mammals and scores of
seabird species spend parts of their lives here; gray whales visit as part of
the longest mammal migration on earth and albatross gather food here to return
to nestlings on mid-Pacific islands and atolls. Sea otters munch on
macro-invertebrates such as urchins, which in turn graze on majestic kelp
forests. Fishes occupy myriad niches from the deepest ocean canyons to the
shallowest tide pools.
Influenced by geology, ocean currents and other
global processes, the
Olympic Coast's temperate location and physical environment
supports critical habitats and
unique communities of organisms, including one of the most diverse seaweed communities in the world.
The human story is important too. For millennia, Native American
cultures have lived in a unique relationship with the ocean. And beginning
in the 16th century, European exploration and eventually settlement have left a
compelling historical
legacy on the Olympic Coast.
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