The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) protects and
manages 13 sanctuaries and one marine national monument.
Important habitats like breeding and feeding grounds, coral
reefs, kelp forests, and historical shipwrecks are represented
within the system of marine sanctuaries. ONMS works with the
public and federal, state, and local officials to promote
conservation while allowing compatible commercial and
recreational activities. Coral reef in Fagatele Bay, American
Samoa. NOAA released a final management plan and environmental
impact statement that guides future activities at Fagatele Bay
National Marine Sanctuary in American Samoa and outlines the
expansion of the sanctuary to include waters with some of the
oldest and largest known corals in the world. The revised
management plan, prepared in conjunction with the American
Samoan government, is a result of an extensive review process
that involved scientific assessment, public comment, community
meetings, and consultation with local village and govern