16th March 2015

California marine sanctuaries to more than double in size

The U.S. government has announced plans to expand two major marine sanctuaries off the coast of Northern California – home to a vast array of sea life.

Cordell Bank and Gulf of the Farallones national marine sanctuaries off northern California will both increase dramatically in size after a final ruling by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The expansion will help to protect the region's marine and coastal habitats, biological resources and rare ecological features.

Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, located 42 miles north of San Francisco, will expand from 529 square miles to 1,286 square miles. Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary will expand from 1,282 square miles to 3,295 square miles of ocean and coastal waters.

"We are thrilled to announce the expansion of two of our sanctuaries in California," said Holly Bamford, NOAA's deputy administrator. "It's important to conserve these special places that encourage partnerships in science, education, technology, management and community."

The expansion is based on years of public comment and research by NOAA and its scientific partners that identified the nutrient-rich upwelling zone originating off Point Arena and flowing south into the original sanctuaries as one of the most productive in North America.

Cordell Bank and Gulf of Farallones national marine sanctuaries represent globally significant, extraordinarily diverse, and productive marine ecosystems that encompass areas as varied as estuarine wetlands, rocky intertidal habitat, open ocean and shallow marine banks. They include areas of major upwelling where nutrients come to the surface and support a vast array of sea life – including 25 endangered or threatened species, 36 marine mammals such as blue, gray and humpback whales, harbour seals, elephant seals, Pacific white-sided dolphins, and one of the southernmost U.S. populations of Steller sea lions; over a quarter of a million breeding seabirds; and one of the most significant white shark populations on the planet.

"I'm glad the administration stepped up and used its authority as prior administrations, both Republican and Democrat, have done," said Jared Huffman, U.S. Representative for California's 2nd congressional district, in a San Francisco Chronicle interview. "The whole California coast has been in the crosshairs of oil and gas development for a long time."

"This expansion is the outcome of a tremendous collaborative effort by government, local communities, academia and elected officials to provide additional protection for critical marine resources," said Daniel J. Basta, director of the NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. "It presents a bold vision for protecting the waters off the northern California coast for current and future generations."

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