Sanctuary News, Announcements, and Programs

News

DRAFT Restoration Plan and NEPA Evaluation for the YFD-70 Dry Dock for GFNMS and MBNMS

Public Comment Period Extended! Due to a technical error during the previous comment period, the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is extending the opportunity for public comment via email until March 15, 2023 on the Draft Restoration Plan and NEPA Evaluation for the YFD-70 Dry Dock for Greater Farallones and Monterey Bay national marine sanctuaries that proposes to help restore sanctuary resources injured as a result of this incident. Download and view the plan here. Any comments that were submitted during the original period should be re-submitted to be considered for input. Comments must be submitted to gfnms.restoration@noaa.gov by March 15, 2023. (2/13/23)

Netflix’s Series Features an Episode on Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

The online streaming service Netflix premiered "Our Great National Parks", a five-part documentary series about the world's most breathtaking national parks and the wildlife that live there. Episode 3 features a 52 minute episode on NOAA’s Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, narrated by President Barack Obama. The episode features some conservation issues facing national marine sanctuaries and the entire world’s ocean, while highlighting the importance of protecting our treasured natural resources. Some of the marine species featured include orcas, southern sea otters, northern elephant seals, gray whales, and many more. See the trailer and stream on Netflix with subscription. (4/26/22)

BAUE Volunteer Divers Remove Underwater Discarded Tires

Divers remove debris from the deep! Recently, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and California State Parks partnered with Bay Area Underwater Explorers (BAUE) and Lee Oceans Foundation to recover 26 discarded tires from Point Lobos State Marine Reserve. The tires were of unknown origin and are harmful to underwater habitats by displacing substrate and leaching heavy metals and chemicals into the surrounding water. BAUE divers conducted numerous survey dives at 100-170 foot depths to locate the tires in the marine protected area. Removal of each 40 lbs. tire from the seafloor required lift bags and support from the vessel Escapade to return the debris to land for proper disposal. For more information, visit the Lee Oceans Foundation. (4/26/22)

NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Releases Final Management Plan and Final Environmental Assessment for MBNMS

Over the last decade, the sanctuary's natural and cultural resources and environmental conditions have changed, creating new challenges for protecting resources and facilitating compatible use. At the same time, new tools for effective management have emerged, driven by scientific advances, technological innovation, and new partnerships. An evaluation of requirements and approaches, both current and future, ensure we, and our partners, are making the most effective use of programmatic resources. (11/12/21)

Please view this infographic for an overview of the newly released management plan (2.7M PDF)

Superintendent Statement: Large Vessels Close to the Coast in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Large vessels such as container ships and oil tankers have been sited close to the Monterey Bay coast over the past few weeks. NOAA’s Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard to remind the vessels about advisable routes recommended by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Shipping companies are cooperating with the sanctuary’s request that large vessels move west of the recommended routes and well offshore while waiting for entry into San Francisco. For more information, please email Karen Grimmer. (4/13/21)

Attention Teachers!

Explore MBNMS through our new Distance Learning Programs for your students! Access our pre-recorded marine science programs and lesson plans for free, or schedule a 45 minute LIVE Virtual Interaction Program for a fee. For more information, please email Chelsea Prindle. (11/2/20)

MBNMS Virtual Dives and Feature Film “One Breath” are now available!

Watch the stunning 18 minute film highlighting the sanctuary from filmmaker Bob Talbot, and take yourself on a virtual dive tour to explore 360° images taken from 11 different sanctuary locations. Use virtual googles for the ultimate immersive experience!. For more information, please email Amity Wood. (10/29/20)

Support Students for Zero Waste Week 2020

Students in California are inviting their local communities to “Go Green. Think Blue.”, and join them in the 8^th annual Students for Zero Waste Week. During this week-long campaign, students are focusing on reducing land-based waste and in turn, helping to protect the health of local marine environments. Their goal is to raise awareness of how single-use plastic and other types of litter affect the health of the local watersheds and our national marine sanctuaries. This year we are encouraging universities, businesses and organizations to participate in the 2020 Zero Waste Week campaign. For more information, please visit Students for Zero Waste Week web page. For more information, please contact Jezella Peraza by email. (12/17/19)

8^th annual Students for Zero Waste Week Flyer (837K PDF)

NOAA Expands Seafloor Protection off West Coast Starting January 1^st 2020

More than 140,000 square miles of seafloor along the West Coast will be protected from bottom trawling under a plan implemented by NOAA on January 1^st, 2020. Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) participated in the decade-long review of Pacific Coast groundfish Amendment 28, Essential Fish Habitat Conservation Areas (EFHCA) within Sanctuary waters, providing critical seafloor, coral, sponge and fish assemblage data, vital to the decision to protect sensitive habitats from bottom trawling. More information on the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) federal register notice can be found here. (12/3/19)

What’s in Your Watershed? Snapshot Day Celebrates 20 Years of Water Quality Monitoring

Snapshot Day exemplifies a successful 20-year collaboration between dedicated volunteers and a network of water quality professionals on the central California coast. Diverse public agencies, local companies, non-profit organizations, and citizens are all committed to healthy coastal watersheds and a thriving Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary ecosystem. Read the Web Story, or contact Lisa Emanuelson by email for more information. (4/9/19)

Job Announcements

top

Position Announcement: Sanctuary Exploration Center Bilingual (Spanish) Education Specialist

Location:	Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center, Santa Cruz, CA
Supervisor:	Sanctuary Exploration Center Manager (MBNMS) Education & Outreach Coordinaator (Foundation)
Status:	Full–Time position (40 hours/week)

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (the Foundation), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is a leading voice for U.S. protected waters, is seeking a full-time, bilingual Education Specialist, a position responsible for implementing K-12 education programs at the Monterey Bay Exploration Center, a visitor center that interprets the natural and cultural resources of at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center in Santa Cruz, California.

Specifically, the Education Specialist will support work that is part of the scope of a cooperative agreement between the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries focused on engaging the public with the 15 sanctuaries and two marine national monuments in the National Marine Sanctuary System, as well as mission support programs of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, a locally-based chapter of the national foundation.

Working collaboratively as part of a passionate, mission-focused team, the Education Specialist will develop and implement all K-12th grade in-person education programs at the Exploration Center, including some virtual programming. The Education Specialist will also oversee in-class programs conducted on school campuses throughout Santa Cruz County. The Education Specialist will also work to build partnerships with minority-serving community organizations, coordinate public programs throughout the community, and assist with special events at the Exploration Center. The position requires the performance of a highly independent professional who provides impactful educational and outreach programs and services to support the mission of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. The ideal candidate for this position will be fluent in both English and Spanish.

The Bilingual Education Specialist responsibilities include:
Coordinate In-person and Virtual Learning Programs:

Advertise available program offerings to local teachers

Act as initial point of contact for all interested teachers and schedule presentations

Coordinate with teachers on field trip scheduling

Lead the center’s field trip, in-class, and virtual programs when scheduled

Update curriculum and advertising materials and translate to Spanish when necessary

Maintain all program data

Assist with the training and mentoring of student program assistants

Additional Responsibilities:

Assist with special events on site and within the community, which may occur on evenings or weekends

Act as a floor lead and open and close Center operations as needed, including:

Operate and troubleshoot computer equipment associated with exhibits

Greet visitors during open hours (including on weekends)

Assist Volunteer Docents with day-to-day activities at the center

Who You Are

As the Education Specialist, you have a passion for sharing the marine environment and for education and can implement engaging and interactive programs that bring the wonder and value of Monterey Bay and the entire National Marine Sanctuary System to life for your audience. You have a commitment to lifelong learning, a strong sense of initiative, and work well independently.

Required Qualifications minimum:

Spanish Fluency and English Fluency, in both oral and written communications

Bachelor’s degree or proven equivalent experience in science, environmental science and environmental education (or combination).

Experience in informal and/or formal education.

Comfortable leading and speaking to groups, both in-person and over video-conferencing.

Must be able to work independently with a history of self-directed work.

Must possess the ability to take direction and demonstrate decision making skills.

Must have strong verbal and written communication skills.

Demonstrated ability with the suite of Google Drive applications.

Must be able to work on weekends and evenings as scheduled.

A sincere interest in, and commitment to, our mission.

Regular attendance required.

For more information and to apply, please visit the Foundation's Full–Time Bilingual Education Specialist recruitment page.

About PDF and HTML Files

Please note these files are available in several different formats. Please click on the format you would like to view. HTML and TEXT formats are best for quick viewing on the screen within your web browser. PDF files are crossplatform files that can be viewed and printed on any computer that has the ability to read PDF's. This can be built in to the computers operating system, or through a third party application (like Adobe Reader). For more instructions on utilizing PDF files, check Adobe's web site.

*Some browsers have trouble rendering PDF files. If you are having troubles, please Right-Click (Windows/Mac) or Control-Click (Mac) to download and save the file to your desktop and open from there*