National Marine Sanctuaries and Local Economies
Just as national parks and national forests protect and conserve our natural resources on land, national marine sanctuaries do so in the ocean and Great Lakes. Sanctuaries are managed to support lives and livelihoods, and have strong connections to local communities and special places.
The information below summarizes what we currently know about the benefit of national marine sanctuaries to local income and jobs. These also serve as a guide to communities and researchers interested in bolstering current sanctuary knowledge by filling information gaps and updating data.
National System Economic Contributions
Across all national marine sanctuaries, local, coastal, and ocean-dependent economies benefit from diverse activities like commercial fishing, research, education, and tourism/recreation. Additionally, sanctuary resources support food security for millions of people through commercial fishing, recreational fishing, and subsistence harvest.
All regional and site-based facts below will be updated as new information develops.
West Coast Region
Channel Islands
Close to the California mainland, yet worlds apart, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and National Park encompass the ocean environment and five of the eight California Channel Islands. The Channel Islands offer adventure and breathtaking scenery just 100 miles from Los Angeles and a thriving local tourism economy with thousands of visitors to the Channel Islands for diving, boating, kayaking, recreational fishing, watching wildlife, and hiking and camping.
Chumash Heritage
Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary encompasses a 4,543-square-mile-area off the Central California coast that is highly productive and important to commercial and recreational fishing. Between 2015–2019, Dungeness crab, market squid, sablefish, and shortspine thornyhead were among the most valuable fish landed in the sanctuary and adjacent waters. The Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County coastlines and coastal waters support a range of recreational uses, including surfing, paddle sports, sunbathing, swimming, whale watching, and nature study. These beaches, in addition to receiving extensive use by local residents, provide popular destination points for visitors.
Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay is the heart of recreation and tourism in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary—with opportunities for whale watching, scuba diving, kayaking, fishing, sailing, surfing, and walking some of the longest stretches of beaches in California.
In 2023, Santa Cruz County, California saw a strong rebound in tourism, with visitors spending $1.4 billion in the county. Travel spending in Monterey County, California in 2023 was $3.0 billion.
Cordell Bank
Commercial fishing operations in the remote, offshore Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary account for hundreds of thousands of dollars in harvest revenue from catch in the sanctuary. From 2013–2018, Dungeness crab, Chinook salmon, sablefish, Dover sole, and petrale sole were the top five commercially landed species, with the greatest concentration of fishing happening at the eastern boundary. The sanctuary also provides opportunities for research and education-focused deep-sea diving, and invests in opportunities for the public to "visit" Cordell Bank through virtual reality, and the use of telepresence technologies during deep-sea research expeditions, and on-shore education through partner exhibits.
Greater Farallones
Dungeness crab, salmon, rockfish, and groundfish are among some of the marine life commonly targeted by commercial and recreational fishermen in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Healthy fish and invertebrate populations depend on clean water to thrive. Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary also supports wildlife viewing, surfing, and scuba diving.
Olympic Coast
In 2018, there were about 11,100 people living within ZIP codes adjacent to the Olympic Coast, mostly in small, rural, remote communities. These communities have primarily natural-resource-dependent economies, relying on commercial fishing, timber harvest, and tourism. Commercial fishing is an important activity off of the Olympic Coast that provides a variety of services to local and broader communities through economic and non-economic benefits. Dungeness crab and shrimp spot prawn accounted for $325 million in revenue from 2008–2018.
Northeast and Great Lakes Region
Thunder Bay
The visitor center for Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, is a major tourist destination for the region, attracting tens of thousands of visitors to the city of Alpena.
Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast
Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary covers 962 square miles within the 22,000-square-mile Lake Michigan—the second largest of America’s five Great Lakes. Locals and visitors alike are drawn to its beautiful waters, which are rich with maritime history and recreational opportunities. The sanctuary, designated in 2021, includes 36 known shipwreck sites and provides a national stage for local communities to promote heritage tourism and recreation, and attract new partners and resources.
Lake Ontario
Scuba diving, boating, fishing, and paddling are just a few of the recreational activities that locals and tourists enjoy on the waters of Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary in upstate New York. The region also includes several lighthouses and maritime museums, and many state parks that attract millions of visitors. When people visit the region for these activities, they are also contributing to the regional economy by spending money on food, accommodations, travel, and other activities.
Stellwagen Bank
The majority of whale watching tours originating in Massachusetts occur within Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, one of the top-ten premiere whale watching locations in the world. Whale watching draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, contributing $76.1 million in labor income, $107.2 million in value added, and an estimated $182.1 million in output to the local economy. Fishing, diving, boating and bird watching also draw visitors to the sanctuary and contribute to the local economy.
Southeast Region and Gulf of Mexico
Mallows Bay-Potomac River
In-person and virtual paddling and walking tours of the sanctuary, as well as partner programs and community events allow hundreds of visitors a chance to experience the Ghost Fleet and wildlife within the sanctuary.
Monitor
Sanctuary partners include over ten museums and aquariums throughout North Carolina and Virginia. Direct financial support, exhibition materials, and staff time are provided to these partners on behalf of the sanctuary.
Gray's Reef
Gray's Reef is a popular spot off the Georgia coast for recreational scuba diving, as well as rod and reel and handline fishing. Private-boat recreational fishing in the sanctuary for pelagic species, such as king mackerel, is one of the most popular activities, while bottom-fishing for snappers and groupers is also a popular summer pastime. Black sea bass and flounder are also commonly caught in the sanctuary. Sport fishing tournaments sponsored by private fishing clubs and marinas take place in the spring and summer.
Florida Keys
As a global destination, economic activity generated in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is responsible for contributing $4.4 billion and 43,000 jobs across the state of Florida, including almost $1.5 billion in labor income statewide. The sanctuary recognizes Blue Star fishing and diving operators for their commitment to responsible recreation and tourism.
Flower Garden Banks
Each year, diving and fishing charters out of Texas bring thousands of divers and anglers to visit Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, located 80-125 miles from the Texas and Louisiana coastlines.
Pacific Islands Region
American Samoa
The coral reefs of American Samoa provide for subsistence fishing, traditional nearshore commercial fishing, recreation, and non-consumptive activities such as swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, boating, beach recreation, and beach camping.
Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary protects humpback whales and their habitats. More than half of the humpback whales in the North Pacific seasonally use the waters around the Hawaiian Islands as their principal breeding and calving wintering ground. The whale watching industry plays a strong role in the state's economy as it contributes millions of dollars annually. The shallow waters of the sanctuary also support recreational activities such as snorkeling, diving, fishing, and paddle sports.