A Marine Sanctuary in Our Backyard

Did you know there is an underwater national park just a few miles off the shores bordering San Francisco that is home to 36 marine mammal species, over 390 species of fish, and over 330 species of invertebrates?

It's called the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, and it's cared for and protected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and The Greater Farallones Association. The sanctuary hosts 600,000 seabirds, resident and migratory, each year because this region is one of the four most biologically productive areas in the world.

The work helps us understand the impact of our decisions and how we can make better decisions to improve the health of our planet.

The Greater Farallones Association supports the efforts of NOAA and the Sanctuary with citizen science programs, restoring critical habitat, addressing climate change, education for kids, and funding for noted researchers.

NOAA's mission is to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts, share that knowledge and information with others, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. Over 6,700 scientists and engineers study and monitor our evolving planet, focusing on nine key areas: Weather, climate, oceans and coasts, fisheries, satellites, research, marine & aviation, charting and sanctuaries.