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about
us
In 1972,
in response to a growing awareness of the value of our coastal waters,
Congress passed the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act.
The act authorized the designation of National Marine Sanctuaries to protect
significant waters and secure habitat for aquatic species, shelter historically
significant shipwrecks and other cultural resources, and serve as valuable
spots for research, fishing, wildlife viewing, boating, and tourism.
Marine
Sanctuaries are special areas of the oceans, coastal waters, and Great
Lakes. Here are some facts about the sanctuaries:
- Thirteen
Sanctuaries exist today, ranging in size from 1 to more than 5,000
square miles
- The
Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary encompasses 948 square
nautical miles of water off the California coastline west of San Francisco
and includes offshore marine regions of the Gulf of the Farallones
and the nearshore waters of Bodega Bay, Tomales Bay, Estero de San
Antonio, Estero Americano, and Bolinas Lagoon
- Gulf
of the Farallones Sanctuary was designated in 1981
- The
Sanctuary is part of the United Nations' Golden Gate Biosphere Reserve
- Ocean
wilderness juxtaposed to the 8 million residents of the San Francisco
Bay Metropolitan Area
- Nursery
for harbor seals, elephant seals, harbor porpoises, Pacific white-sided
dolphins, rockfish, and seabirds including the Tufted Puffin. Twenty
percent of California's harbor seals breed in the Gulf of the Farallones
Sanctuary
- Largest
breeding concentration of seabirds in the contiguous United States.
More than 400,000 seabirds breed in the Sanctuary
- Thirty-six
marine mammal species have been documented in the Gulf of the Farallones
- Destination
feeding
grounds for endangered blue whales and humpback whales
- One
of the largest remaining blue whale populations on Earth
- Major
migration route of gray whales and small resident population
- Stopover
resting and feeding area for migrating birds
- One
of the last populations of threatened Steller sea lions
- One
of the largest concentration of white sharks in the world
- Home
to 27 endangered or threatened species
- Fifty-two
species of rockfish are found in the Gulf of the Farallones Sanctuary
Why
care about the ocean?
- The
ocean covers more than 70% of the earth's surface
- Home
to more than 90% of all living things
- More
than 50% of the world's protein comes from the ocean
- Generates
four times as much oxygen as green plants on land
- Regulates
the global climate
- Contributes
trillions of dollars to the global economy
Why
support the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and the
Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association?
- Working
to protect the marine environment
- Responds
to oil spills and other environmental emergencies
- Monitors
the shoreline for natural and human caused disturbances
- Monitors
endangered species
- Develops
and/or supports collaborative programs to protect endangered species
- Develops
programs to reduce disturbance to marine life
- Develops
and implements programs to protect and/or restore marine habitats
- Educates
adults and children about the marine environment
- Involves
citizens in marine research and conservation
Some
of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary success stories:
- Stopped
oil drilling along the San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin and Southern
Sonoma coasts.
- Prohibits
the discharge of materials into the Sanctuary
- After
more than 170 years northern fur seals are breeding on the Farallon
Islands
- Restoring
the Common Murre population to breeding areas affected by oil spills
- Reduced
disturbance to harbor seals which has lead to the increased survival
rate of pups
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