Monterey, CA — September 30, 2024— Aquarium Conservation Partnership welcomes progress to a new national marine sanctuary in California. Aquariums and zoos across the country celebrate the next exciting step for the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary off the Central Coast of California and look forward to official designation soon.

The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary was nominated for designation in 2015. After almost a decade of work by engaged Tribes, local communities, conservation organizations, and others, the Biden-Harris administration announced the release of the final Environmental Impact Statement, published on Friday, September 6, 2024. The White House is celebrating this moment as the significant milestone launching the final leg of the journey to official designation, expected December 2024 or January 2025. 

We applaud the recent release of the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary and support the Biden-Harris administration finalizing the designation. As leaders representing many of the nation’s leading zoos and aquariums committed to connecting our audiences with nature and helping conserve the ecosystems that sustain us all, we have called for this action in the years leading up to this announcement. Today, we celebrate this important step on the path toward official designation of a truly historic national marine sanctuary. Tribes, Indigenous Peoples, community leaders, and others have worked for many years with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to bring the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary into existence. 

Our institutions welcome millions of visitors each year who come to build connections with the natural world. As informal education institutions, we appreciate the power of educating learners of all ages and backgrounds about the importance of the ocean and recognize sanctuaries as ideal partners to advance ocean and science literacy. Likewise, sanctuaries help local communities connect with the marine environment in their area and inspire people nationwide with the wonders of our ocean, and many of our institutions work in partnership with our regional marine sanctuaries. 

National marine sanctuaries are designed to recognize remarkable places in the ocean, advance key protections, build connections with communities, and help sustain a healthy and dynamic ocean for generations to come. The sanctuary, once designated, will encompass a unique area in the ocean off Central California where cold and warm currents converge, creating a hotspot of ecological productivity and biodiversity that supports an incredible array of marine life. Whales, sea turtles, and seabirds forage and migrate through the area. Deep-sea coral and sponge colonies provide foundational habitat for fish, including commercially and culturally important species. Diverse nearshore habitats of kelp forests, seagrass beds, and wetlands provide food and shelter for numerous species, and help build resilience for vulnerable coastal communities against the impacts of climate change. 

This exceptional place has supported the Indigenous communities who have lived in this area and sustained deep connections with the ocean from time immemorial. The plan put forward in the Final EIS recognizes the importance of Indigenous Peoples’ leadership for the sanctuary and commits to including Indigenous values, knowledge, and traditions in its management - an important step forward in including Indigenous Peoples in the care of their ancestral lands, waters, and cultural resources. 

If designated, this new sanctuary will provide important protection from harmful activities like oil, gas, and mineral exploration and extraction, vessel discharge, and other types of pollution, and it will create extra layers of review for other activities to safeguard environmental and cultural resources. In reflecting both the ecological and cultural significance of the area, the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary is an incredible example of the Administration’s commitments to conservation, honoring areas of cultural importance, supporting thriving ocean communities, and advancing elements of the federal ocean justice strategy. 

Advancing this sanctuary safeguards this incredible part of our ocean for future generations and should provide Indigenous Peoples with more opportunities to care for and manage their ancestral lands and waters. We thank the Biden-Harris administration for continuing to recognize special places in the ocean and the essential role that sanctuaries have in connecting people to the ocean, addressing resiliency in the climate crisis, protecting biodiversity, and offering meaningful economic opportunities and increased access to nature. We encourage the administration and NOAA to continue to advance and finalize other sanctuary designations in the designation process, including releasing the draft designation documents and starting the public comment period for the proposed Hudson Canyon National Marine Sanctuary as soon as possible.

We look forward to the swift final designation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary and commend the leadership of the federal government to protect exceptional ocean spaces today and into the future.

Sincerely,

Aquarium of the Pacific

Long Beach, California

Brookfield Zoo Chicago

Brookfield, Illinois

California Academy of Sciences

San Francisco, California

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Cincinnati, Ohio

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

Columbus, Ohio

The Florida Aquarium

Tampa, Florida

Fresno Chaffee Zoo

Fresno, California

Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium

Kansas City, Missouri

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Monterey, California

National Aquarium

Baltimore, Maryland

OdySea Aquarium

Scottsdale, Arizona

Oregon Zoo

Portland, Oregon

Saint Louis Zoo

St. Louis, Missouri

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

San Diego, California

Santa Barbara Zoo

Santa Barbara, California

Seattle Aquarium

Seattle, Washington

Shedd Aquarium

Chicago, Illinois

Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Wildlife Conservation Society 

Brooklyn, New York