This policy and the associated permit guidelines incorporate many lessons learned by the ONMS through direct experience with submarine cables in the Monterey Bay, Olympic Coast, and Stellwagen Bank national marine sanctuaries, as well as the experiences of other government agencies. In addition, the ONMS has taken into consideration comments received from an Advance Notice of Public Rulemaking (ANPR) regarding submarine cables in September 2000 as well as comments received in response to Interim Policy and Permit Guidance for Submarine Cable Projects (74 FR 18169; April 21, 2009). This policy...

This Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (FPEIS) addresses restoration techniques for anthropogenic physical injury to coral reef resources within Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean waters of the National Marine Sanctuary System (NMSS). The purpose of this document is to present and analyze the current technologies available for effective implementation of restoration to address injury to coral reef resources in these areas of the NMSS; appropriate analysis of the technologies in this document will provide for efficient selection and implementation of action when needed.

Recent studies on the continental shelf of the northeastern United States suggest that substrate and water mass characteristics are highly correlated with the composition of benthic communities and may therefore, serve as proxies for the distribution of biological biodiversity. A detailed geo-referenced interpretative map of major sediment types within Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (SBNMS) has recently been developed, and computer-aided decision support tools have reached new levels of sophistication. We demonstrate the use of simulated annealing, a type of mathematical...

The condition report provides a summary of the status of the resources in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. The report includes pressures on the monument resources, current condition and trends, and management responses to the pressures that threaten the integrity of the marine environment.

This is the first taxonomic guide of deep sea organisms for the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. From April 21 to 27, 2011, the NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer started their field season with a shakedown cruise primarily to field test equipment. The cruise also provided an opportunity to conduct multibeam mapping and a series of exploratory dives using the Little Hercules Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. The ROV explored areas that had not been surveyed previously. Video of these opportunistic dives was analyzed for habitat types, species, and...

This document is an assessment of current enforcement challenges and needs. It provides a three-year strategy for verifying needs and testing methods for enforcement within the National Marine Sanctuary System. This report is organized into five sections, focusing on 1) general background and introduction; 2) enforcement approach; 3) status of sanctuary enforcement and existing or potential technologies; 4) enforcement challenges; and 5) options for funding the three-year enforcement strategy. The strategy was developed through a series of steps, engaging staff from across the ONMS as well as...

Global and regional changes to the marine environment associated with climate change may have significant consequences for coral reef ecosystems, coastal communities, and maritime heritage resources relevant to the Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary (FBNMS). Regional physical changes to the marine environment include climate variability, sea level rise, ocean circulation patterns, and ocean acidification. These changes combined with anthropogenic stressors may produce cumulative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem health including changes in physiology, phenology, and population...