October 2020

Hot off the Press! America’s Marine Sanctuaries: A Photographic Exploration

America’s Marine Sanctuaries: A Photographic Exploration is out now! The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation partnered with Smithsonian Books to release this coffee table-style book to bring the wonders of our national marine sanctuaries to your fingertips. America’s Marine Sanctuaries takes you on an intimate and immersive journey to explore the rich history, iconic wildlife, and vibrant habitats that makes sanctuaries so special and worthy of protection.

America’s Marine Sanctuaries is a tribute to the ocean’s incredible ecosystems and landscapes, from kelp forests to deep sea canyons. The fourteen underwater gems that make up the National Marine Sanctuary System are celebrated for their beauty, history, and importance. Featuring a foreword by actress and activist Sigourney Weaver, the book serves as a gorgeous reminder of what’s at stake in our efforts to conserve the world’s most critical and beautiful environments.

Exploring Beyond the Lens with ocean photographers

Two more installments of the series will follow on October 27th, by Hawaii-based photographer Melody Bentz, and on November 10th, with Florida Keys diver and photographer Stephen Frink. You won’t want to miss out on these incredible opportunities to learn about the craft and inspiration behind ocean photography.  

State of the Monument report reveals the benefits of science-based management practices

Following the report’s release, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and hundreds of supporters urged policymakers to keep in place restrictions on commercial fishing within Pacific marine monuments. In its letter to the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, the Foundation explains that opening up Pacific monuments would undermine the health and resilience of these special places and undermine fishery conservation efforts. In fact, according to a recent study in Nature, the Hawaii longlining fleet’s catch and its catch per unit effort increased since the monuments’ designations. 

A virtual exploration of cultural heritage in Papahānaumokuākea

From the Blog: A quest to photograph California’s rare and endangered abalone species

In part one of the series, The Iridescent Ones: Visualizing California’s Abalone, Oriana goes extreme tidepooling to photograph the endangered black abalone. Black abalone were once found all along the western coastline, from Crescent City, California to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico, but are now scarce in much of that range. Photographing these masters of camouflage and shy crevice dwellers was no easy task. 

In part two, Oriana ventures underwater, scuba diving in the coastal waters off San Diego in search of white abalone. Facing intense fishing pressure in the 1970s, the white abalone were the first marine invertebrates to be listed as endangered in 2001. 

Read the blogs here >>>

Recreate Responsibly, Explore Locally

This month, we blogged over at the Recreate Responsibly Coalition about exploring locally and recreating responsibly around the National Marine Sanctuary System. 

In the era of COVID-19, planning vacations and connecting with nature is proving to be harder than ever. Many people are dreaming of far-off destinations to find adventure or take a much-needed break from reality. Instead of hopping on a plane, consider the wonders around you! There are 14 national marine sanctuaries and two marine national monuments all around the U.S. that can serve as a long-awaited escape while reducing long-distance travel and limiting the spread and exposure to COVID-19. 

Learn more >>>