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PRESIDENT BUSH ANNOUNCES THE EXPANSION OF MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY TO INCLUDE THE DAVIDSON SEAMOUNT Speaking at the opening of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History new Sant Ocean Hall on September 26, 2008, President George W. Bush announced the expansion of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary to include the Davidson Seamount. As a result of management plan revision, a seven-year process involving public input and agency collaboration, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary will be expanded to include Davidson Seamount. The Final Rule to include the new boundaries is expected by early November (Final EIS available at http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/jointplan/). The Davidson Seamount is a pristine undersea mountain habitat off the coast of Central California, 75 miles to the southwest of Monterey, and is one of the largest known seamounts in U.S. waters. It is 26 miles long and 8 miles wide. It is 7,480 feet tall, yet its summit is still 4,101 feet below the sea surface.
Davidson Seamount was the first to be characterized as a "seamount" in 1938 by the United States Board on Geographic Names, and was named in honor of the United Sates Coast and Geodetic Survey scientist George Davidson, a leader in charting the waters of the west coast. Davidson Seamount is populated with a diversity of deep-sea corals, most of which have other species associated with them. It has been called "An Oasis in the Deep," hosting large coral forests, vast sponge fields, crabs, deep-sea fishes, shrimp, basket stars, and high numbers of rare and unidentified benthic species. The seamount has special national significance relative to ocean conservation, ecological, scientific, educational, aesthetic, and historical qualities. New technology has only recently allowed scientists to bring back dramatic high resolution images from the deep sea, offering researchers and the public an opportunity to witness the never before seen glimpses of rare marine species living in this cold, dark, and mysterious habitat. The proximity of education and research institutions in the Monterey Bay region facilitates interdisciplinary collaborations that enhance research and education. The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has determined that the Davidson Seamount requires protection from the take of or other injury to benthic organisms or those organisms living near the seafloor because of the seamount's special ecological and fragile qualities and potential future threats that could adversely affect these qualities. As part of the new management plan for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS), the Davidson Seamount will be included in the boundary of the MBNMS as the Davidson Seamount Management Zone (DSMZ). A 775-square-statute-mile area around the seamount will be incorporated into the Sanctuary, approximately 29 miles per side, increasing the current 5,322 square statute miles of the MBNMS.
Related Links Sanctuary Research at Davidson Seamount Ecological Characterization & Habitat Modeling of the Davidson Seamount Fauna Video: Natural Wonders of Davidson Seamount SIMoN Photo Library (search by location: Davidson Seamount) |
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