National marine sanctuaries and monuments — our wondrous protected waters — teeming with life and inspiring a proud community of stewards for our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes.

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation supports projects across the National Marine Sanctuary System, a network of nationally significant protected areas in our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes. The National Marine Sanctuary System is comprised of 15 national marine sanctuaries and two marine national monuments and spans more than 620,000 square miles of American waters.