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noaasanctuaries · 11 days
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It's not easy being green. But it gets a little easier on St. Patrick's Day. These critters don’t need luck when they have charm, especially the green crab, who takes pinching to a whole new level. 🍀
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noaasanctuaries · 14 days
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Smelly Gas Helps Researchers Track Right Whales
In the vast open ocean, how does a large animal like a North Atlantic right whale find enough food to eat? Scientists suspect whales are following odors produced by the natural chemical compound dimethyl sulfide (DMS), a smelly gas released when the copepods eat phytoplankton. To predict where right whales will be aggregating, scientists at NOAA's Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary are conducting groundbreaking research following the same scent trail the whales may be using to locate their favorite food.
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Why does this matter? Click to learn more:
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noaasanctuaries · 20 days
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Happy International Women's Day!
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We're celebrating the women of our National Marine Sanctuary System and the amazing contributions they make to ocean conservation!
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Thank you for all that you do!
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Want to learn about some of our favorite sanctuary heroes? Visit the links below!
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noaasanctuaries · 24 days
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Are you looking to gain invaluable experience in social media and communications?
We invite you to join the dedicated and enthusiastic team at NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries! Apply for our Remote Communications and Social Media Internship by Friday, March 8, 2024!
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noaasanctuaries · 28 days
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BREAKING NEWS:
NOAA proposes national marine sanctuary in Papahānaumokuākea
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Today, NOAA has released a draft proposal to designate a national marine sanctuary in the marine portions of Papahānaumokuākea. Home to the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, threatened green turtles and many species found nowhere else on earth, the complex and highly productive marine ecosystems of Papahānaumokuākea are significant contributors to the biological diversity of the ocean. 
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Papahānaumokuākea is of great importance to Native Hawaiians, and Hawaiian culture is a foundational element in its management. It is also home to a variety of post-Western-contact historic resources, such as 19th-century commercial whaling shipwrecks and artifacts and those associated with World War II’s Battle of Midway.
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The public is invited to comment on the sanctuary draft proposal through May 7, 2024.
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noaasanctuaries · 1 month
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I believe I can fly.
I believe I can touch the sky.
I think about it every night and day.
Spread my fins and fly away.
Unfortunately, whales can't fly. But, they can jump out of the water, also known as breaching! Though humpback whales are relatively slow swimmers, able to swim at about 15 miles per hour but averaging only two to nine miles per hour, they’re amazing acrobats.
Learn more about humpback whales by visiting:
📸: Douglas Croft
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noaasanctuaries · 1 month
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Happy Valentine's Day
With love,
Your National Marine Sanctuary System
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noaasanctuaries · 2 months
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Don’t get this guy confused with Lion's Mane mushroom, as these nudibranchs are probably far less tasty.
The lion's mane nudibranch (Melibe leonina), has an anatomy that is unique from other nudibranchs. Instead of a rasping tongue, it has an expandable oral hood that resembles a lion's mane, with fringing tentacles designed to trap their prey. This tiny marine mollusk is found along the West Coast of North America on rocks and in eelgrass and kelp habitats. Unlike typical nudibranchs that use vibrant colors for defense, this species relies on on a semi-translucent appearance to blend in with their surroundings better. If disturbed, this species may also be seen “swimming” in the water column using delicate movements to mimic the motion of floating debris while moving from location to location.
📸: Bruce Sudweeks (2021 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest submission)
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noaasanctuaries · 2 months
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The musician of the sea 🎸🎶
Just kidding! Although this fish is named after a string instrument, it is not musically talented like its name implies. This relative of sharks and stingrays gets its name due to the guitar-like shape of its body. The Atlantic guitarfish can be found in coastal waters of the western Atlantic Ocean from North Carolina to the northern Gulf of Mexico and Yucatan, Mexico. Their unique morphology, which is a unique combination of shark-like and stingray-like features, allows them to efficiently navigate diverse environments, making them well-adapted predators in coastal ecosystems. They feed on bottom-dwelling creatures and often bury themselves in sand, mud, or weedy bottoms near patch reefs.
📸: Rachael Rourke (2021 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest submission)
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noaasanctuaries · 2 months
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Watch me whip, now watch me nae nae 🕺
The large whip goby (Bryaninops amplus) is a small, elongated fish known for its vibrant colors and slender body. This goby lives in coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific, including Hawaii and excluding the Red Sea. Members of this species are typically found in groups, living exclusively on or in close association with soft coral sea whips in areas exposed to currents. The currents help bring the gobies their food of choice: plankton. Like many other symbiotic gobies, they have special pelvic fins that help them cling on to the surface of their host. Their bodies are semi-transparent, which helps them blend in better with the soft corals they dwell on.
📸: Paul Rosenblum (2022 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest submission)
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noaasanctuaries · 2 months
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This is the ten-tentacled burrowing anemone (try saying that ten times fast)!
Unlike most anemones that attach themselves to hard surfaces, this species burrows into sediments. It can retract its tentacles and withdraw into its burrow when disturbed, showcasing a clever adaptation to avoid potential threats or predation. This species can be distinguished from other similar species because it has exactly 10 tentacles and the tentacles are often speckled.
📸: Jacqueline Villa Rajerison (2022 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest submission)
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noaasanctuaries · 2 months
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The blue-banded goby, native to the Pacific Coast of North America, stands out for its unique social structure. These small, vibrant fish form cooperative breeding groups and have a unique ability to change sex. While lots of marine fishes have the ability to change sex, nearly all species can only change in one direction. The blue-banded goby can change its sex back and forth as needed, and it can do so rather quickly (within a few days). This bright orange fish with electric blue stripes can often be found hanging upside down in underwater caves at depths ranging from 20 to several hundred feet.
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noaasanctuaries · 2 months
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There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home 👠👠
You said ruby brittle star, not ruby slippers? Oops. Well, this ruby brittle star's home is in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
This unique species adds a splash of vibrant color to the ocean floor with its striking reddish hue. Like all brittle stars, it has a central disk with long, flexible arms. This species of echinoderm, found in the Western Atlantic, can grow to a maximum size of 21 inches in diameter. When threatened, it can shed its arms as a distraction, allowing the brittle star to escape from predators. Remarkably, it can regenerate lost arms, showcasing an impressive ability to adapt and survive in its challenging underwater environment. Regenerative abilities differ greatly among sea star species.
📸: Jennifer Ackerman (2022 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest)
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noaasanctuaries · 2 months
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I've finally found my knight in shining armor 😍
The emperor helmet snail (Cassis madagascariensis) is the largest helmet species and also one of the largest gastropods in the world. It is most famously known for its ornate shell resembling a medieval knight's helmet. Found in sandy bottoms of the tropical Western Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea, they often bury themselves during the day and emerge to hunt at night. They use a long, flexible, tube-like structure (proboscis) to pierce and feed on the soft tissues of echinoderms such as sea stars, sea urchins, and sand dollars.
📸: Karen Neely (2023 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest submission)
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noaasanctuaries · 2 months
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Haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate...
And potatoes gonna potate, tate, tate, tate, tate...
Stalked tunicates (Boltenia ovifera), commonly referred to as “sea potatoes,” are marine invertebrates that might be mistaken for plants due to their stationary appearance. Found in Arctic and North Atlantic waters, these animals belong to the Phylum Chordata, which makes them a primitive relative of vertebrates. Stalked tunicates, like other types of tunicates or “sea squirts” are filter feeders that pull water through their body (tunic) using a system of inhalant and exhalant siphons. This particular tunicate species is secured to the bottom of the sea by means of a long stalk.
📸: Kevin McCarthy (2022 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest submission)
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noaasanctuaries · 2 months
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You probably haven't heard of these unique sanctuary species!
Our Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest photographers have an eye for crazy critters. From the emperor helmet snail to the northern water snake, the 10 animals in our new web story showcase the diverse and fascinating marine life that inhabit these treasured waters.
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noaasanctuaries · 3 months
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Recreation... ✨at night✨
Congratulations to the 2nd place winner of the Sanctuary Recreation category, Daniel Eidsmoe for sharing his night under the stars in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
View all Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest winners:
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