Letter from Joel R. Johnson, President and CEO

FROM JOEL R. JOHNSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO

When I’m on the water, I find peace and solace in nature, and purpose too. Whether it’s a national marine sanctuary on the ocean, Great Lakes or a river, connecting with the wildlife or the history of these special places makes me feel like I’m part of something much greater than myself. As a reader of our latest National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Impact Report, I know you feel similarly empowered. We know that America’s treasured waters are worth protecting, and we feel called to volunteer our energy and time to do all we can to support this legacy that belongs to all of us.

You can see the challenges all around America’s waterways; warming waters, rising seas, ocean acidification, invasive species, trash and plastic pollution seem inescapable. Yes, we’re part of the problem, but national marine sanctuaries are places where people show up as part of the solution – where people become true stewards of our blue planet.

When we designate a new sanctuary, we’re taking action, not giving in to despair or climate anxiety. When we take a young person fishing, kayaking or on their first snorkel trip in a sanctuary, we’re showing the next generation our waters are worth fighting for. When we save a whale, seabird or sea turtle, we’re protecting life on Earth.

Our 2024 Impact Report demonstrates a wave of great ideas and projects in sanctuaries supported and funded by our federal and institutional partners, and by people who love and want to protect our ocean and Great Lakes. It takes people power to make a sanctuary; it takes people power to sustain it.

Over the last year, we have worked on every one of America’s coastlines with local communities, Indigenous peoples, activists, artists, scientists and volunteers to improve our most treasured waters: creating art out of trash, removing marine debris like derelict boats, partnering with local fishermen to test innovative commercial fishing gear, working with dive operators and tourists to clean coral reefs, responding to climate emergencies, educating teachers and thousands of youth on the shipwrecks and maritime history that forged this great nation, and funding invaluable environmental research.

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, its more than 100 staff, and dozens of partners coast to coast and in the Pacific are stewards of a great legacy. As we embark on our 25th year, your continued support is more essential than ever, empowering us to expand our impact for both present and future generations. Thank you for your commitment to the Foundation and our work.

 

Sincerely, 

Joel R. Johnson
President and CEO, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

View and Download the PDF Version of the Impact Report

GEAR INNOVATION AND RESEARCH TO AVOID WHALE ENTANGLEMENTS

Along the West Coast, entanglements in fishing gear present a serious threat to endangered whales, highlighting the need for innovative solutions to reduce these risks. The Foundation supports the testing and development of fishing gear innovations that reduce entanglement risks while sustaining fishermen’s livelihoods. In 2024, the Foundation partnered with fishermen to trial four different pop-up fishing technologies, achieving 320 at-sea trials. We also created a gear lending library, allowing fishermen free access to test and improve these innovative fishing systems.

As threats to whales grow due to shifting food availability, entanglements, vessel strikes, and other risks, the Foundation is committed to protecting these ocean giants, including the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, with approximately 370 remaining.

“Working with the Foundation has been valuable because it’s given us the opportunity to test and adapt pop-up fishing gear to meet our needs, so we have options to keep fishing when seasons are shortened because of whale activity for and respond to these types of events in the future.”

 

Rick Hauschel,

Half Moon Bay fisherman

 

Using Tech to Track Whales

In Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale NMS, the Foundation supports researchers deploying non-invasive drones and suction-cup tags to track behaviors when whales encounter vessel noises or get entangled. It’s early stage research, but continued support will yield data on how manmade problems affect humpbacks’ behaviors like breeding, calving, and feeding.

BUILDING CAPACITY FOR CORAL REEF RESTORATION

In 2024, NOAA declared a global coral bleaching event, the fourth in the past decade. This continued heat stress, along with other climate-related impacts, has elevated the need for collaborative and resilience-based solutions to restore coral reefs worldwide.

In the U.S. Pacific Islands, the Foundation partnered with NOAA Fisheries and SECORE International, a leading coral conservation organization, to host a workshop focused on sharing innovative technologies for larval propagation and restoration. Researchers, practitioners, and resource managers from Hawai’i, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands gathered in Guam to receive hands-on training on larval propagation techniques and work with partners from across the region. The project represents a key milestone in building capacity, sharing knowledge, and empowering communities to do the work of restoring coral populations in their home jurisdictions.

As additional funding becomes available for coral restoration in the U.S. Pacific Islands, the Foundation will continue to prioritize mobilizing communities to ensure they are well-equipped for future larger-scale restoration efforts.

“Thanks to generous support from the Foundation,  the Guam Coral Reef Initiative (GCRI) has launched a new coral nursery in the Piti Bomb Holes Marine Preserve in May. In four short months, the GCRI team has populated the nursery with 1,300 corals from six different species! The Foundation’s support in purchasing tools, construction materials, and dive gear allowed us to launch our new scientific diving program and begin work on the coral nursery.”

Ashton N. Williams,

Program Manager, Guam Coral Reef Initiative,

recipient of a coral capacity grant through the Foundation at The Marine Mammal Foundation

Turning Collective Thinking to Community Action

In October, a new Foundation-led Solutions Series event focused on building comprehensive and scalable thermal stress action plans to address future bleaching events in Florida Keys NMS and the 31 percent of national marine sanctuaries that have tropical coral reef ecosystems.

Identifying Challenges and Opportunities for Restoration

The Foundation and the Pew Lenfest Ocean Project, in cooperation with NOAA, convened 60 coral reef and kelp forest experts at the Climate-Informed Ecosystem Restoration in MPAs (CERM) symposium to build consensus toward solutions to climate threats and ecosystem-scale restoration actions.

LARGE MARINE DEBRIS REMOVAL AND HABITAT RESTORATION

Every year, millions of tons of debris and derelict vessels litter our waters, releasing toxic chemicals while threatening wildlife and habitats, ecosystems and economies, our food web and our health.

This year, the Foundation and partners mobilized to eliminate large marine debris, including abandoned and derelict vessels and a massive sunken bridge pontoon, that impact sensitive habitats and cultural traditions, create navigational hazards, and endanger wildlife and economic prosperity across five national marine sanctuaries and two Tribes’ ancestral waters.

Over the years, the Makah Marina in Neah Bay, which is in Makah Tribal waters just outside of Olympic Coast NMS, hosted traditional, Tribal, and commercial fishing activities. As native fishermen faced economic hardship, resulting in abandoned vessels in the marina, derelict vessels multiplied.

Removing this large debris benefits the environment, public health, and local economy. The marina supports Tribal fisheries, community wellbeing, cultural customs, and recreation and tourism, all of which rely on clean water, thriving fisheries, and navigational safety. When we do this work, we empower the community to sustain their way of life and create future opportunities.

Our job is just beginning. The Foundation is scaling our large debris removal efforts to other sanctuaries because we believe that our nation’s treasured ocean and Great Lakes places and the communities that love them should be free of marine debris.

“The Makah have the largest tribal harvest in the United States, and a spiritual connection to the ocean; it is ingrained in our lives. We are happy we’re able to work with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation to remove marine debris from our environment. It’s essential for improving the economics of the Marina and the function of our harbor. It’s just a tremendous benefit that we’re very thankful for.”

Chairman T.J. Greene,

Makah Tribal Council

0

derelict and abandoned vessels pulled out of Neah Bay

0

tons of vessel debris sent to landfill (equal to the weight of 2.5 blue whales)

0

tons recycled metal from vessels (a little bigger than a Boeing 747)

0

gallons of liquid hydrocarbons from vessels (equal to the average gas tank size of 105 Mack trucks)

0

fire extinguishers retrieved from vessels

0

tons approximate weight of sunken pontoon bridge

WIN! 100,000 Pounds Removed!

2024 marked a massive milestone for Goal: Clean Seas Florida Keys, an underwater debris removal program in Florida Keys NMS. In just five years, the program worked with Blue Star dive operators to remove more than 100,000 pounds of marine debris from the sanctuary – equivalent to the weight of three school buses!

Ocean Odyssey: Supporting Communities Against Marine Debris.

Pollution disproportionately impacts people of color and other underrepresented communities. In 2024, the Foundation awarded 12 grants totaling more than $84,000 through the Ocean Odyssey Marine Debris Awards for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Accessibility (DEIJA). These grants support underserved communities by educating on marine debris and helping to remove it. The Marine Debris awards expand the Ocean Odyssey Grants program that has already issued $705,000 in grants for ocean science, exploration education, and stewardship so far.

TWO NEW SANCTUARIES
TO EXPAND PROTECTIONS

Nowhere else in our ocean and Great Lakes are we seeing more growth and momentum for protecting habitat than in our National Marine Sanctuary System. With your help, we are seeing a wave of sanctuary champions rise up to meet the Biden-Harris Administration’s America the Beautiful initiative to protect 30 percent of the ocean and land by 2030. We are bolstered by wavemakers — Indigenous guardians, youth activists, dedicated educators, outdoor enthusiasts and bold explorers.

So far this year, the Foundation is working hand-in-hand with community and government partners in support of NOAA’s intrepid initiative to add new sanctuaries to our network of nationally significant protected waters: Chumash Heritage NMS on California’s Central Coast and Lake Ontario NMS in upstate New York this year, with more on the horizon.

The Foundation mobilizes advocates and engages diverse communities to ensure everyone’s voice can be heard, and these national treasures are protected for all Americans to enjoy.

L to R: (1) Daniel Mackay, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, (2) John Armor, Director of NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, (3) Richard W. Spinrad, Ph.D., Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere & NOAA Administrator, (4) Randy Simons, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, (5) Walter Mosley, NYS Secretary of State, (6) Kisha Santiago, NYS Department of State, (7) Rick House, Wayne County Administrator

“We are only doing what it takes to take care of the place where we live, and that we love. It has taken a long time, and it has taken the generations that lived through the 1969 oil spill that started the modern-day environmental movement. What we’re doing is important to think about in terms of generations. Not just five years or ten years, but 50 years and eons into the future.”

 

Violet Sage Walker,

Chairwoman, Northern Chumash Tribal Council and 2024 Sanctuary Wavemaker Award Honoree

 

“A lot of people have never really thought about what’s underneath the water, so designating this sanctuary in our marine heritage is going to open up economic, recreational, educational, and cultural opportunities that the region has not had and can now take advantage of.”

 

Philip Church,

Oswego (NY) County Administrator and proponent of Lake Ontario NMS

Investing in Community Partner Engagement

This year, the Foundationis launching the Sanctuary Community Fund to directly invest Inflation Reduction Act funds in sanctuary communities, starting with the newly created designations and those underway, to help local wavemakers build programs that engage their communities in sanctuaries

 

EMPOWERING YOUTH LEADERS: CAPITOL HILL OCEAN WEEK

“Life-changing!” That’s how one young leader described Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW) after leaving the conference in June 2024.

Early-career and youth advocates from across the country came out in force to Washington, DC, to champion ocean protection. They took center stage to share their initiatives and knowledge, advocate to elected officials, and inspire us all to be bold.

This year, the Foundation centered CHOW, the nation’s premier ocean policy conference, on the theme of leadership. CHOW elevated young leaders like Chief Devon Parfait of the Grand Caillou/Dulac band of Biloxi Chitimacha Choctaw in Louisiana, who closed the conference by asserting that “Leadership is a decision, not a title.”

Each year, CHOW strengthens our ability to lead the stewardship of our ocean and Great Lakes by making new connections and forging new possibilities, uplifting underrepresented voices, and honoring our advocates.

Youth leaders and activists again took the spotlight virtually for National Marine Sanctuary Day on October 23 to share their hopeful vision for the ocean’s future, connecting with thousands of their peers across America.

“My generation will continue bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. We are so much more than a number or a speck on a map, we are humans, and our stories are like our thumbprints, each one so unique that it deserves to be heard. So, it’s time we view youth not only as the leaders of the future, but as the leaders of the present.”

Pia Visaria,

EarthEcho Youth Leadership Council Member; U.S. Youth Advisory Council for the UN Ocean Decade; and CHOW 2025 Advisory Council Member

 

“There is power in our voice and no matter what our background is, together change is created with our voices. It is my responsibility to use my voice for intentional impact and positive change.”

 

Bailey Bass,

Actress and Advocate

OUR IMPACT

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION 

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is a leading voice for U.S. protected waters, working with communities to conserve and expand those special places for a healthy ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes. Working together, we safeguard species and the places they call home, and preserve America’s maritime history. Established in 2000, the Foundation is the official non-profit partner of the National Marine Sanctuary System. The Foundation directly supports America’s national marine sanctuaries through our mission to protect species, conserve ecosystems, and preserve cultural and maritime heritage. We accomplish our mission through community stewardship and engagement programs, on-the-water conservation projects, public education and outreach programs, and scientific research and exploration. The Foundation fosters innovative projects that are solution-oriented, scalable, and transferable, and develops strategic partnerships that promote the conservation and recovery of species and their habitats. Learn more at marinesanctuary.org.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 

Susanna Kondracki, Co-Chair

Mark McDade, Co-Chair

Martin Peters, Treasurer

Laura Zagar, Secretary

Jose Astorqui

Barbara Birdsey

Nikki Buffa

Elizabeth Crego

Gary Demasi

Dr. Justin Dunnavant

Josh Franklin

Heather Ludemann

Ilarion Merculieff

Dane Nichols

Jodie Ng

Dawn Rodney

John Rudolf

John Armor (ex-officio)

Joel R. Johnson (ex-officio)

OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM

Joel R. Johnson, President and CEO

Veronica Ali, Chief Financial Officer

Allison Alexander, Sr. Vice President,

Program Operations and Workforce Development

Shannon Colbert, Sr. Vice President, External Affairs

Chip Weiskotten, Director of Creative Strategy & Services

Tj Tate, Director of Conservation

Eliza Booth, Director of Marketing & Brand

Ginaia Kelly, Director, Monterey Bay Chapter

Sarah Porter, Director, Gray’s Reef Chapter

2023 FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT

Total revenue $22,584,692 

Total expenses $23,039,073

Net assets at beginning of year $5,840,615

Net assets at end of year $5,386,234

Change in net assets ($454,381)

REVENUE BREAKDOWN

TOTAL: $22,584,692

Government: $20,123,722 (89.1%)

NOTE: this figure combines Fed and Non-Fed govt figures

Foundation: $1,068,622 (4.7%)

Corporations: $770,576 (3.4%)

Individuals: $343,319 (1.5%)

Other: $278,394 (1.2%)

 

EXPENSES BREAKDOWN

TOTAL: $22,584,692

Program: $20,123,722 (89.1%)

Management & General: $3,028,423 (13.1%)

Fundraising: $732,036 (3.2%)

 

* Audited financial information for FY2024 will be available in Q2 of 2025

OUR DONORS, SPONSORS AND PARTNERS

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is grateful for the partnership of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), whose ongoing support sustains the Foundation in the pursuit of its programmatic mission. The Foundation is also grateful to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of State for their longtime support of key Foundation initiatives throughout the National Marine Sanctuary System and beyond. We also wish to thank the following donors, sponsors, and partners (including for Capitol Hill Ocean Week), who contributed $500 or more in 2023:

$10,000+

Agua Fund
Anonymous California Department of Parks & Recreation
Cannery Row Company*
City of Capitola*
Clean Energy
Community Foundation for Monterey County*
Compass
George & Debra Couch*
Gary Demasi & Stirling Spencer
Clint Eastwood & Christina Sandera* Environmental Defense Fund
Gordon & Ronda Eubanks*
The Greater Kansas City Community Foundation
Hansen Bridgett*
Hayward Collective (Finless Foods) The Henry Foundation, Inc.
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC Susanna Kondracki
Lenfest Ocean Program
Joseph & Vera Long Foundation
Tina Deboer Long Charitable Trust* Marine Mammal Commission (MMC) Mark McDade
Monterey Bay Aquarium*
Monterey Peninsula Foundation*
The Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation
The Mote Scientific Foundation Inc. The Curtis & Edith Munson Foundation National Geographic Society
Natural Resources Defense Council
(NRDC)
New England Aquarium
Dane Nichols
Ocean Conservancy
Oceana
Oceankind
Orsted
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Secretary Leon & Sylvia Panetta* PwC Charitable Foundation
John Rudolf Family Foundation
Santa Cruz County Office of Education*
John G. Shedd Aquarium
Shell
State of California Natural Resources Agency Swedish Ministry of Climate and Enterprise
U.S. Department of the Interior
The Volgenau Foundation
Walton Family Foundation, Inc. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)
World Wildlife Fund
Yamaha Marine Group

$1,000 – $9,999

Amazon
American Fishing & Tackle Company Aquarium Conservation Partnership José Astorqui
Atlantic Strategies Group
Ted & Velma Balestreri*
Bay Federal Credit Union*
Julie Work Beck
Wendy Benchley
Gene & Genie Bernardini*
Daniel Bernstein*
Hardin Bethea
Yvette Lopez Brooks*
Hilary Bryant*
Buck Electric, Inc.
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)
California Academy of Sciences Marguerite Carr
Central Coast Community Energy* The Dorothy Jordan Chadwick Fund Charitable Adult Rides & Services, Inc. (CARS)
Chesapeake Bay Trust
Cheryl Chip**
Cynthia Crass
The Debate Winery
DiBenedetto Law Group, PC*
Dr. Justin Dunnavant
Earthjustice
Elevare Advisors*
Nicholas Elliott
Emily Cislo
ESP Advisors
Esri
Forrest Estes**
Francesca Farr*
Sam & Shary Farr*
Colleen Fitzpatrick
Suzanne Frey
Georgia Aquarium
John Haskins*
Hayward Lumber*
International Fund for Animal Welfare Ironclad Distillery
Alexandra Isern
Ann Kittredge
J.C. Lewis Foundation
Japan Co. Ltd. Sakamoto Kazuki Lane Johnson**
Dr. Kumar Mahadevan
Kaiser Permanente*
Heidy Kellison*
Laura Mcgee
LuAnn Lowen

Jane Lubchenco
Heather Ludemann
Nicole Mattacola*
Kim McIntyre
Meadow Lane Mangement
Mystic Aquarium
National Aquarium
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation National Marine Manufacturers Association National Ocean Protection Coalition (NOPC)
National Science Foundation National Wildlife Federation (NWF) Jodie Ng
OceanWinds
Pacific Environment
Pebble Beach Company*
The Pegasus Foundation
Perkins Coie LLP
M Piuze Foundation
Post Ranch Inn*
Pure Water Soquel*
Reyn Spooner
Dawn Rodney
Royal Norwegian Embassy
Cathy Sakas**
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk*
Santa Cruz County Bank*
Scripps Institution of Oceanography Scruggs Spini and Fulton*
Seafood Harvesters of America Seattle Aquarium
Shell Oil Company Foundation David Sherman
Signal Group
Society of Black Archaeologists South Carolina Aquarium
Strahle Legacy Planning *
The Philip Stephenson Foundation The Nature Conservancy
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP)
Tito’s Vodka
University of California, Santa Cruz* University of Hawaii Foundation Martine Watkins*
West Peak Sparkling Spirits
Whale Trust
WildAid
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Kari Wolff*
Judith Wood
Yamaha Rightwaters
Yuan-Pao Yang
Laura Zagar

$500 – $999
Jeanne Adams*
Rebecca Cornell Ahrensfeld
Gary Allen
Amy Alpine
Joyce Anderson*
Brad Brereton*
California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB)*
Jim Cunneen*
Sue Ebanks**
Galveston College
Roxane Geggie
Kitty Gonzalez
Gina Greer
Lisa G. Henschel
Cassandra Hughes Williams
Heidi Johnson
Frans Lanting & Christina Eckstrom* Gwyneth Lloyd
Christian Marsh
David Martinez
Mariam Martirosyan*
Christeen McClary Mix**
Robert Mitchell
William Moren
John O’Keefe
Charles Osborne*
Linda Owens
Pacific Islands Institute, Ltd. Protect Our Mother, Inc.*
Burgess Raby
Kyle Ruggieri*
Kirsti Scott
Mark Silberstein*
Bill and Freda Smith Family Fund** Tyler Studds
Michael Tree*
Margaret Webb*
Tracey Weiss*
Pamela Whitehead*
Yorkshire Foundation

 

 

 

 

 

* Gift was designated for the Monterey Bay Chapter of the Foundation

** Gift was designated for the Gray’s Reef Chapter of the Foundation

The Foundation strives to acknowledge all donors for their generous contributions. For any errors, omissions, or questions about donor listings, please email development@marinesanctuary.org.

Support the Foundation and Our Sanctuaries

At the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, we believe that protecting our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes is not just a responsibility but a collective privilege.

 

By donating today, you become integral to our commitment to safeguard species and their habitats, conserve America’s maritime history, and ensure a thriving and resilient ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes. With your generosity, we can protect and expand national marine sanctuaries,  improving the health of marine ecosystems and, by extension, our planet. Together, we can build a future where marine life thrives, our coasts flourish, and our ocean remains a source of wonder and inspiration for all.

 

Make a lasting impact on the future of our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes.

Support Our Sanctuaries

SCAN TO DONATE

TEXT TO DONATE

Text WAVES to 44-321

DONATE BY MAIL

National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

Attn: Development

8455 Colesville Rd.,

Suite 1275 Silver Spring, MD 20910

Annual Impact Report Photo Credits: Front cover – Bruce Sudweeks; Inside front cover: Turtle measuring – Black in Marine Science; Binoculars on boat – Evelyn Ganson; Surfing girl – Bruce Sudweeks;

Surfers at sunset – Matt McIntosh/NOAA; Kids with clipboard – Nick Zachar/NOAA; Kayaker with debris – Robert Keeley/NOAA; Team of rowers – Apulu Veronika Molio’o Mata’utia Mortenson/NOAA;

Diver on shipwreck – Nick Zachar/NOAA; Throwing net – RBFF; Divers make heart – Reef Check; Whale breach – NOAA/NOAA Fisheries Permit #14245; Artists laying down – Tiffany Duong; Rec Fishermen

– Matt McIntosh/NOAA; Coral restoration – Nick Zachar/NOAA; Pg 1: Joel – Shmulik Almany; Pg 2: Rick – Timmy Reyes; Crab traps – Timmy Reyes; Drone over whale – Ed Lyman/NOAA MMHSRP Permit

24359; Pg 3: Raft – Guam Coral Reef Initiative; Coral work – Guam Coral Reef Initiative; Pg 4-5: Flag underwater – Kurt Tidd; Derelict vessel – Madelin Jimenez-Andersen; Crane lifting boat – Justin Boevers;

TJ Greene headshot – Christopher Martinez; Pg 6: Violet – Shmulik Almany; Phil – Vernon Smith/NOAA; Ribbon cutting – Vernon Smith/NOAA; Pg 7: Pia – Shmulik Almany; Bailey – Shmulik Almany; Group

shot – Shmulik Almany; Back cover: Kayaker over wreck – Bryan Dort