Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary

Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary
Map of the Gulf of the Farallones sanctuary Map of the Gulf of the Farallones sanctuary
Location	Gulf of the Farallones, California, United States
Coordinates
Area	1,250 sq mi (3,200 km2)
Established	1981
Governing body	NOAA National Ocean Service
http://farallones.noaa.gov/

The Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (formerly 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. Expansion was passed March 2015.

See also

• Marine Mammal Center

External links

• Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary
• Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association (FMSA)

Further reading

• Beyond the Golden Gate: Oceanography, Oceanography, Geology, Biology, and Environmental Issues in the Gulf of the Farallones. (2000). Edited by Herman A. Karl, John L. Chin, Edward Ueber, Peter H. Stauffer, and James W. Hendley II. U.S. Geological Survey, Circular 1198. Online at [1].