Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is a federally protected marine area off the Big Sur and central coast of California, in the United States, extending along a 276 mile shoreline from north of the Golden Gate Bridge to Cambria in San Luis Obispo County. Designated on September 18, 1992, it covers 6,094 square miles and sustains marine ecosystems counted among the most diverse in the world, home to 36 species of marine mammals, 94 species of seabirds, 525 species of fish and 450 species of marine algae. Its seaward boundary averages 30 miles offshore and reaches a deepest point of 12,743 feet in the Monterey Submarine Canyon, deeper than the Grand Canyon, and the sanctuary also holds 1,276 documented shipwrecks and 718 prehistoric sites. Oil drilling and seabed mining are prohibited within its waters, and the sanctuary balances resource protection with research, education and compatible public use. It is managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration through its Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.