Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary

Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary

Map of the Gulf of the Farallones sanctuary

Location Gulf of the Farallones, California, United States
Coordinates 37°48′N 123°00′W / 37.8°N 123°WCoordinates: 37°48′N 123°00′W / 37.8°N 123°W
Area 1,250 sq mi (3,200 km2)
Established 1981
Governing body NOAA National Ocean Service
http://farallones.noaa.gov/

The Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary is one of 13 marine sanctuaries in the U.S., found outside San Francisco's Golden Gate surrounding the Gulf of the Farallones

History

It comprises part of the United Nations' Golden Gate Biosphere Reserve. It adjoins two other National Marine Sanctuaries, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary. The Sanctuary was declared in 1981 and protects about 1,250 square miles (3,237 km2) of the waters off San Francisco, part of the highly productive California Current System. Within the sanctuary are the Farallon Islands and associated National Wildlife Refuge, the sanctuary protects the feeding grounds of the seabirds and seals that breed and haul out on the islands. The sanctuary also protects migrating whales, especially gray whales, and a population of great white sharks.

Expansion

In 2012, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration proposed an expansion of the borders of the sanctuary, along with expansion of the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, to include an additional 2,700 square miles, reaching to Point Arena.[1] Expansion was passed March 2015.[2]

See also

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Further reading