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Cultural Heritage MPAs

  > National System  > Cultural Heritage MPAs

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Marine protected areas can encompass an area that has been set aside because a ship, aircraft, or other cultural artifact rests on or is embedded within the sea floor. These resources also may be embedded within a federal MPA, or where authority exists, as state MPAs established for natural heritage conservation purposes. The knowledge gained through careful research and analysis of historical artifacts scattered throughout our oceans and Great Lakes is fundamental to understanding our heritage. By continuing to preserve, protect, and respect these nonrenewable resources, we can ensure that our nation's cultural resources are available for future generations.

What are some examples of cultural heritage MPAs?
The Framework for the National System of MPAs defines cultural heritage as "the legacy of physical evidence and intangible attributes of a group or society which is inherited and maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations." Additionally, cultural resources are defined as "the broad array of stories, knowledge, people, places, structures, and objects, together with the associated environment, that contribute to the maintenance of cultural identity and/or reveal the historic and contemporary human interactions with an ecosystem."

This inclusive scope is guided by the following vision for cultural heritage resources within the national system: "Achieving and maintaining healthy coastal and marine ecosystems requires a fundamental understanding of the relationships between people and the environment. Cultural heritage, which belongs to all people, emphasizes these connections, whether that heritage takes the material form of, for example, maritime resources (such as shipwrecks), natural resources (such as marine species and habitats), or sacred places. Through the national MPA system, cultural relationships among people and historic, natural, and place-based heritage resources are preserved and perpetuated in ways that recognize and share multiple cultural voices and knowledge systems for the benefit of all."

Examples of cultural resources found in the United States can include historic shipwrecks, submerged remains of piers and docks, historic remains of habitation, sunken naval vessels and aircraft, and submerged prehistoric remains as well as cultural sites that are paramount to a culture's identity and/or survival, such as a sacred site for a Native American nation.

Where are cultural heritage MPAs found in the U.S.?
The Marine Protected Areas Inventory contains more than 100 cultural heritage MPAs; click here to view a list of them, including websites. These sites are located throughout the U.S. and are managed by federal agencies, state/federal partnerships and state agencies. To view the boundaries of a specific cultural heritage MPA, download the MPA Mapping Tool.

How will the national system benefit cultural heritage MPAs?
The national system of MPAs will strengthen the protection of cultural heritage resources by enhancing coordination among MPAs and conducting regional gap analyses to identify areas that contribute to the system's priority conservation objectives that would benefit from additional protection.

In September 2009, the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee voted to establish a Cultural Heritage Resources Working Group. The Working Group includes both Committee members and external experts on cultural heritage resources from federal, state and tribal agencies as well as academia and/or non-governmental organizations. Click here to read the group's scope of work and membership

For additional information on Cultural Heritage Resources, click here. For information on federal, state, and university programs, professional and non-governmental organizations, and funding opportunities, click here.

Cultural Heritage Resources and MPAs Fact Sheet

For More Information, contact:
Valerie.Grussing@noaa.gov.
MPA Center Cultural Heritage Resource Coordinator