National Marine Sanctuaries
The National Marine Sanctuary Program serves as a trustee for 14 clearly bounded systems in which environmental education, ecosystem monitoring, and evaluation of the effects of natural and human stressors are conducted. CCFHR provides liaison between the scientific research staff of NCCOS and the management of the National Marine Sanctuary Program. We help to design the research strategy that puts NOAA’s management on the best scientific basis. Learn more.
CCFHR has a long history of working in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Recently we have been performing a comparative analysis of the function of disturbed and undisturbed coral reef and adjacent habitats in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve within the sanctuary. We have also characterized the fishery resources and habitats with the coral-seagrass bank channels in the nearshore region. Much of CCFHR’s work in assessing damage, recovery, and restoration methods in seagrass and coral habitats has been carried out in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Learn more.
Research conducted in the Papahänaumokuäkea Marine National Monument characterized food web links supporting large apex predators (especially large fish, sharks, seals, and marine birds). Learn more.