Making Waves: Sanctuary Stories & Foundation News

By: Lisa Wooninck Published: Santa Cruz Sentinel, January 19, 2024 Students across the Monterey Bay and throughout the nation have been engaging in hands-on environmental stewardship projects, as part of NOAA’s Ocean Guardian School program. With funding from NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, PreK–12 schools propose and implement a school or community based stewardship… View Article

By: Lisa Wooninck Published: Santa Cruz Sentinel, September 16, 2023 Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is part of a network of underwater parks encompassing more than 620,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters from Washington state to the Florida Keys, and from Lake Huron to American Samoa. NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries… View Article

By: Lisa Wooninck Published: Santa Cruz Sentinel, August 19, 2023 Kelp forests are valuable and iconic habitats of the central coast of California. Indeed, kelp forests are truly iconic to Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and are prominently featured at the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Giant Kelp Forest Exhibit, delighting visitors since 1984, when the aquarium… View Article

By: Lisa Wooninck Published: Santa Cruz Sentinel, July 15, 2023 There is no better way to immerse yourself in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary than during our annual Get Into Your Sanctuary event on July 29. This year, we offer Fish Fest with numerous family friendly activities celebrating the variety and abundance of fishes in… View Article

By: Lisa Wooninck Published: Santa Cruz Sentinel, June 17, 2023 Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary likened to the “Serengeti of the Sea,” is world-renowned for its mammal, bird and habitat diversity. One sanctuary visitor coming to feed is the blue whale, the largest animal ever to have existed on Earth. The sanctuary is also near… View Article

By: Lisa Wooninck Published: Santa Cruz Sentinel, May 20, 2023 May is Mental Health Awareness month. For this occasion, I am highlighting a concept outlined in a book authored by Dr. Wallace J. Nichols titled “Blue Mind,” about the healing power of water. We have all experienced that being near water — large or small,… View Article

By: Lisa Wooninck Published: Santa Cruz Sentinel, April 15, 2023 As we experience more extreme weather patterns, many are recognizing that we are in a climate emergency and advocating for immediate action. Further, the most severe impacts of climate change fall disproportionately on low-income populations, who are most exposed and least able to recover from… View Article

In what may be the first of its kind, the agency that runs Santa Cruz County’s bus system is hosting a unique, long-term campaign to encourage people to ride the bus, which would reduce their carbon footprint and reduce single-passenger vehicle rides. It would also raise funds for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation…. View Article

Your team at the Monterey Bay Chapter of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation got a lot done in 2022, which was the 30th anniversary of the sanctuary. Staff, interns, and board members worked overtime to make the most of the opportunities to fundraise, conduct outreach, and advocate for the sanctuary.  These actions help to protect… View Article

By: Lisa Wooninck Published: Santa Cruz Sentinel, March 18, 2023 Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary boasts a high diversity of marine mammals (36 species) that are residents or passing through, making the sanctuary a wildlife viewer’s paradise. After being hunted to near extinction, some marine mammal species are rebounding and thriving on an abundance of marine… View Article

By: Lisa Wooninck Published: Santa Cruz Sentinel, February 18, 2023 Published: Monterey Herald, March 4, 2023 Nine atmospheric rivers hit California from Dec. 27 to Jan. 16, with an average of 12 inches of rainfall, including nearly 40 inches in Santa Cruz. Almost half of the rainfall on the Central Coast entered Monterey Bay National… View Article

You can help our marine sanctuary, and its iconic kelp forests, fight climate change.  With climate change in the spotlight thanks to the January 2023 storms, I’m reminded of the important work happening at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, part of a national network of protected areas that fight climate change and pollution and… View Article

Hopskins Marine Station, Pacific Grove. By: Dan Haifley September 18 marked the 30th anniversary of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and on October 23, the national system of marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments turned 50. Over 360 friends and supporters participated in a gala that raised $150,000 for Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary programs... View Article

Pigeon Point in San Mateo County. (Contributed) By DAN HAIFLEY | PUBLISHED: Santa Cruz Sentinel, October 9, 2022 For the past 14 weeks, the Santa Cruz Sentinel and the Monterey Herald ran columns by Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Superintendent Dr. Lisa Wooninck, along with Leon Panetta, Sam Farr, Fred Keeley, and me, who serve on the... View Article

Then-US Rep. Leon Panetta speaks about offshore oil in 1985. (The Panetta Institute for Public Policy/Contributed) By: LEON E. PANETTA PUBLISHED: Santa Cruz Sentinel, September 4, 2022 PUBLISHED: Monterey Herald, September 10, 2022 This month, the Central Coast of California will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the creation of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.... View Article

Fred Keeley introducing AB 1059, the 2002 Killer Algae bill (Fred Keeley/Contributed) By: Fred Keeley PUBLISHED: Santa Cruz Sentinel, August 28, 2022 PUBLISHED: Monterey Herald, September 3, 2022 In this series about the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, you have read much about the leadership of Leon Panetta and other ocean heroes.  Those who wrote... View Article

There are many strong connections to the Monterey Bay for Bay Federal Credit Union. The name of the credit union honors the significance of the Bay in our region, and the President and CEO was fortunate to have witnessed Monterey Bay becoming a marine sanctuary. A few months after President Bush signed the declaration creating... View Article

Assembly Member Fred Keeley speaking at the 1998 White House Oceans Conference in Monterey. Courtesy Fred Keeley collection. By: Fred Keeley PUBLISHED: Santa Cruz Sentinel, August 21, 2022 PUBLISHED: Monterey Herald, August 27, 2022 In previous articles in this series celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, you... View Article

By SAM FARR | PUBLISHED: Santa Cruz Sentinel, August 14, 2022 PUBLISHED: Monterey Herald, August 20, 2022 In my last column, I discussed the effort to create Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and the work undertaken to strengthen ocean governance. Following the Year of the Oceans in 1998, a lot of attention was placed on developing stronger... View Article

Sam Farr addresses the 1998 National Oceans Conference in Monterey, with Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barbara Boxer, Al Gore and Sylvia Earle. (CSUMB Digital Commons/Contributed) By SAM FARR | PUBLISHED: Santa Cruz Sentinel, August 7, 2022 PUBLISHED: Monterey Herald, August 12, 2022 In my last column I described the proposal by Cecil Andrus, Interior Secretary for President... View Article

California legislators Byron Sher, Leo McCarthy and Sam Farr present petitions against offshore oil in 1981. (Sam Farr/Contributed) By SAM FARR | PUBLISHED: Santa Cruz Sentinel, July 31, 2022 PUBLISHED: Monterey Herald, August 6, 2022 Monterey Bay, the largest open bay on the California Coast, is where ocean politics began. From the first Spanish explorers discovering our... View Article

A humpback whale playing in front of the Walton Lighthouse in the Santa Cruz Harbor. (Adam Steckley/Contributed) By DAN HAIFLEY | PUBLISHED: Santa Cruz Sentinel, July 24, 2022 PUBLISHED: Monterey Herald, July 30, 2022 Congressmember Leon Panetta had obtained authorization for a national marine sanctuary and by 1992, our environmental coalition and many others had been promoting... View Article

Sustainability, Resiliency, and Public Health – an Interview with Marty Kropelnicki, President & Chief Executive Officer of California Water Service Group   Last week, we sat down with California Water Service President & CEO Martin “Marty” Kropelnicki to discuss our partnership and commitment to environmental stewardship. This interview has been edited and condensed. Q: Can you... View Article

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve at Moss Beach. (Dan Haifley/Contributed) By DAN HAIFLEY | PUBLISHED: Santa Cruz Sentinel, July 17, 2022 PUBLISHED: Monterey Herald, July 23, 2022 Pushing the potential Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary’s boundary far north enough to protect waters coveted by the oil industry between Santa Cruz and San Francisco was a priority in the late... View Article

Then-Monterey County Supervisor Sam Farr at Save Our Shores rally in Santa Cruz in 1978. (Kim Tschantz/Contributed) By DAN HAIFLEY | PUBLISHED: Santa Cruz Sentinel, July 10, 2022 PUBLISHED: Monterey Herald, July 16, 2022 California’s coastline features rock outcroppings, sandy beaches, tide pools, and wetlands. It’s also defined by what we don’t see — along California’s central... View Article

(Image description: A group of volunteers pushing an outrigger canoe into the ocean.) Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation was a proud of sponsor of this year’s Shared Adventures’ Day on the Beach event, an annual event where more than 300 people with special needs, 400+ family members and friends, and over 250 enthusiastic volunteers... View Article

Dan Haifley and Don Lane on Platform Irene, offshore Santa Maria 1990. (Scott Kennedy/Contributed) By DAN HAIFLEY | PUBLISHED: Santa Cruz Sentinel, July 3, 2022 at 3:42 p.m. | UPDATED: July 3, 2022 at 5:59 p.m. PUBLISHED: Monterey Herald, July 8, 2022 at 4:33 p.m. | UPDATED: July 8, 2022 at 5:07 p.m. California’s beautifully complex coastline features rock... View Article

By Dan Haifley, Secretary of the Board of Directors of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation   I had a rare opportunity to see, up close and in real time, how some of the funds raised for marine sanctuaries from donors like you are being put to use. On May 4, 2022, I, along with... View Article

The Monterey Bay cooked up a storm! The Foundation participated in an Iron-Chef-type cookoff for NBC Live. Contestants were given access to a pantry of fresh produce, stock items, and a surprise ingredient they had to incorporate into their vegetarian entrée. The surprise ingredient was…cauliflower! Our team created a vibrant cauliflower soup that contestant and... View Article

Join our board members, Sam Farr and Dan Haifley, who will be featured speakers at the symposium portion of this years 12th Annual Whalefest Monterey on March 19 and 20, 2022! We're thrilled to have Whalefest bringing attention to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) and highlighting the many local and national marine organizations... View Article

The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, a chapter of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, released its 2021 Impact Report. We inspire the communities surrounding the sanctuary to protect it through participation in and support of programs, projects, and partnerships. Our programs center around conservation and restoration of marine resources, connecting people and communities to... View Article

Although I spent most of my career in Washington, D.C., my home and heart have always been along California’s beautiful Central Coast. Growing up along the shores of Monterey Bay inspired my lifelong commitment to promoting responsible stewardship of our oceans. California’s ocean has been integral to its culture and people since long before statehood.... View Article

From the spring of 2007 to September of this year, I had the honor and privilege of serving as Superintendent of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS). Looking back on the past thirteen years, I am filled with gratitude to have worked with so many great people – sanctuary staff and leadership, sanctuary advisory council,... View Article

In celebration of Pollution Prevention Week, the City of Santa Cruz recognizes 48 Clean Ocean Business awardees including 10 vehicle service facilities that have been recipients since the City program began 20 years ago. The award-winning efforts of these businesses have protected the San Lorenzo River, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and local creeks... View Article

Photo: USS Macon, Credit: U.S. Naval Historical Center/National Archives Early one evening some 85 years ago, the US Navy rigid airship USS Macon was cruising back to its home port at Moffett Field near Sunnyvale, California after finishing up some survey work over the Pacific. While on a heading to Point Sur on the coast... View Article

A by-product of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant reduction in human activity for shelter in place, was an increase in the sights and sounds of wildlife in unexpected places in our suburbs and cities. This reminds us that the natural world surrounding us also has a central role in supporting us. And that’s one… View Article