Privacy Policy

This privacy policy governs the use of this website created by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (from hereon referred to as “Foundation”, “we,” or “us”).  The Foundation respects the privacy of its members and other visitors to and users of its websites and applications. This Privacy Policy sets out the privacy principles that we follow with respect to the collection, use, and disclosure of information that you may provide through our website, including our domains and subdomains: https://marinesanctuary.org/, https://savespectacular.org/ , https://montereybayfoundation.org/, https://olympiccoastfoundation.org/ , https://floridakeysfoundation.org/, https://graysreeffoundation.org/and as well as through other channels and at our events you may attend. 

 

NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuaries Program (from hereon referred to as “NOAA”) contributes content to this website, but the website is funded, managed, and otherwise controlled by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. NOAA does not collect, store, or control any information collected by this website, including the information described in this Privacy Policy. 

The Foundation, publishers of this website and its related content and services, believes that electronic privacy is crucial for the ongoing success of the Internet as a communications medium. 

Any personal information you provide to us including and similar to your name, address, telephone number and email address will not be released, sold or rented to any entities or individuals outside of our organization except as noted below. 

What We Collect and Store Automatically  

The website collects and stores certain information about your browser automatically. This information is anonymized and does not identify you personally. We automatically collect and temporarily store only the following information in raw data format that is not searchable and not identifiable to you: 

  • the IP address of your computer or mobile device; 
  • information about your computer or mobile device—including the type of device, the operating system running on it, and internet browser(s) used; 
  • the location from, date and time the device accesses the website; and 
  • information about the way the device uses the website, such as which sections of the website are visited. 

 

We use the information we collect to count the number and device information to help us improve the application.  We will retain this data only to the extent necessary to improve our website and will comply with any applicable state or federal data privacy laws.  

Cookies 

A “cookie” is a small data text file that is placed in your browser and allows us to recognize you each time you visit this Service (personalization, etc). Cookies themselves do not contain any personal information, and we do not use cookies to collect personal information. 

We use a tool called “Google Analytics” to collect information about the use of this site. Google Analytics collects information such as how often users visit this site, what pages they visit when they do so, and what source they used to access this site. We use the information we get from Google Analytics only to improve this site. Google Analytics collects only the IP address assigned to you on the date you visit this site, rather than your name or other identifying information. We do not combine the information collected through the use of Google Analytics with personally identifiable information. Although Google Analytics plants a permanent cookie on your web browser to identify you as a unique user the next time you visit this site, the cookie cannot be used by anyone but Google. Google’s ability to use and share information collected by Google Analytics about your visits to this site is restricted by the Google Analytics Terms of Use (as amended for government websites) and the Google Privacy Policy. You can prevent Google Analytics from recognizing you on return visits to this site by disabling cookies on your browser. 

Donors 

If you make a donation to the Foundation, your personal information, including your name, beneficiaries, amount of your donation and information about your estate, will be kept strictly confidential, unless you give us permission to release such information. We will honor your request for anonymity, except to the extent that the Foundation is legally required to disclose the identity of donors. 

 

If You Send Us Email  

You may choose to provide us (the Foundation) with personal information, as in email with a comment or question. This information will not be associated with the information collected on your computer or mobile device. We use the information to improve our service to you or to respond to your request.  

 

Links to Other Sites  

The website may have links to our partners, especially other federal agencies. In a few cases we link to private organizations. When you click one of these partner links, you are no longer viewing content from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation or NOAA and are subject to the privacy policy of the new site. NOAA and the U.S. Department of Commerce do not endorse this website or the information, products or services contained therein. 

 

Childrens’ Privacy 

This application does not ask for or collect personal individually identifiable information from children.  

Be careful on the web!  

This website is just a gateway to NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuaries and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. That means that when you click on a link, you will be leaving our site. Government sites that we provide links to also have to follow special rules for their childrens’ sites, but non-government sites do not have to follow the same rules. You may click to a site that will ask you for personal information like your name, address, telephone number, or email address. Before you provide any information, show your parent or some other responsible adult what you are doing.  

Opt-Out Rights 

You have a right to direct us not to share your information with other entities and to delete your information subject to certain exceptions. Please contact use to request for an opt-out request. 

  

Other Disclaimers 

While we make every effort to ensure that the information presented on this website is error-free, errors may occur. We ask that you notify us immediately of any errors that you discover in our data. We will make every effort to correct them. 

With respect to documents, databases, regulatory citations, and other information available on this website, the Foundation and its employees, and, when applicable, neither the United States Government nor any of its employees, make any warranty, express or implied, including the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose; nor assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed; nor represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights.  The views and opinions of authors expressed on this website do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government. This website relies on publicly available NOAA data, but the use of NOAA data does not constitute the United States Government’s endorsement of any policy or editorial statements on this website. 

The appearance of external links on this website does not constitute endorsement of external websites or the information, products, or services contained therein by the Foundation, the Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Ocean Service/Office of National Marine Sanctuaries or any other federal or state agency. The inclusion of the NOAA logo on this website reflects NOAA’s role in providing boundary data and collaborating with the Foundation to expand geographic and program coverage of sanctuary boundaries and attributes, but does not indicate endorsement of the presentation or summary of this data set or associated regulatory summaries by NOAA or any other federal or state agency. 

 

The data on this website does not represent and should not be construed to represent any NOAA agency determination, view, or policy.  

 

Changes to this Statement: 

The Foundation will occasionally update this Statement of Policy to reflect customer feedback. When changes to this Statement are made, you will see the word “updated” next to the Privacy Statement link on the front page of the Site. If there are material changes to this Statement or in how the Foundation will use your personally identifiable information, The Foundation will post changes prior to implementing the change. The Foundation encourages you to periodically review this Statement to be informed of how the Foundation is protecting your information.