NOAA announces $7 million for construction of new facility for Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

NOAA will invest $7 million from the Inflation Reduction Act in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary to build a new office space, which NOAA intends to locate within a new science building planned for construction at California State University, Monterey Bay offsite link (CSUMB). 

The new sanctuary facility would mirror other successful models of NOAA co-locating on a university campus, as with University of California in Santa Barbara, San Diego and Santa Cruz. The new facility would enhance collaboration with CSUMB in its applied programs like seafloor mapping, kelp forest restoration, agriculture businesses and sustainable tourism. 

“NOAA’s national marine sanctuaries facilities are a gateway to our greatest underwater treasures — and key to maintaining them,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This funding will mean a brand new facility that will advance NOAA’s conservation efforts at Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and represents President Biden’s commitment to investing in America.”

“For over 30 years, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary has helped protect the Central Coast’s diverse marine ecosystem as well as provided meaningful research, recreation and educational opportunities,” said Senator Padilla. “I applaud this funding from NOAA through the Inflation Reduction Act to strengthen California’s climate resiliency by improving collaboration between the Sanctuary and the California State University of Monterey Bay to support research and sustainability programs.”

“Collaboration at the local and national levels is crucial to protecting our oceans and their ecosystems,” said Congressman Panetta (CA-19).  “Through this significant amount of federal funding, we will be able to strengthen the critical partnerships between NOAA and our local treasures like our Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and California State University Monterey Bay. We worked hard in Congress to ensure the passage of federal legislation for such an historic investment in our nation’s environment, and I’m proud to have helped secure part of that funding for a permanent office to bolster and further our collaborative conservation efforts in California’s 19th Congressional District.”

“We are excited to become part of the CSUMB campus with the opportunities to engage more directly with students and faculty in enhancing the sanctuary’s mission in ocean conservation,” said Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Superintendent Lisa Wooninck.

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is a federal marine protected area offshore of California's central coast. Stretching from Marin to Cambria, the sanctuary encompasses a shoreline length of 276 miles and 6,094 square miles of ocean, extending an average distance of 30 miles from shore. At its deepest point, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary reaches 12,743 feet (more than two miles). It is one of our nation's largest national marine sanctuaries.

The sanctuary is part of America’s National Marine Sanctuary system, a network of underwater parks encompassing more than 620,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters. The network includes a system of 15 national marine sanctuaries and Papahānaumokuākea and Rose Atoll marine national monuments. 

These investments are part of a $3.3 billion total investment from the Inflation Reduction Act that is enabling NOAA to build on its commitment to help Americans — including tribes and vulnerable populations — prepare, adapt and build resilience to weather and climate events; improve supercomputing capacity and research on weather, oceans and climate; strengthen NOAA’s hurricane hunter aircraft and fleet; and replace aging NOAA facilities. Stay updated about NOAA’s Inflation Reduction Act investments.