NOAA's Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries

06/18/2026

Teachers, a great opportunity to get students involved with projects that help the ocean!

🍎 Pre-K - 12 Teachers: Promote watershed and ocean stewardship in your school or local community by becoming a NOAA Ocean Guardian School! Applications for the 2026 - 2027 school year are open until July 1, 2026.

Learn more: https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/ocean_guardian/.

📸: Nick Zachar/NOAA

06/15/2026

Its "mini mola monday"! Have you ever wondered how ocean sunfish start out? Oddly enough, ocean sunfish (aka mola mola) change body shape several times in their larval stages 🍼 like this one. They put out their spines🍴 to presumably deter being eaten. 🍔 (ouch!) How much food needs to be eaten in order for a mola mola this size to grow to the average adult size of 2200 lbs? 🪼

Photo: NOAA

06/09/2026

Last summer, scientists discovered four sunflower stars (Pycnopodia helianthoides) in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary!

After the species suffered a massive die-off ten years ago as a result of sea star wasting disease, kelp forests were devastated. Active restoration efforts in partnership with Greater Farallones Association have been underway since then. Last summer, divers joined "Pycnopalooza," a large sea star search led by Sonoma State University, Kashia Band of Pomo Indians, NOAA's Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries, and Greater Farallones Association where they spotted 18 sunflower stars total!

Read the latest : https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/notes/2026/sunflower-star-sighting.html.

📸: Tyler Mears/GFA/NOAA

06/09/2026

Happy 🌎! Today we come together to recognize the value of a healthy ocean 🌊 with our partners, colleagues, and communities, including you! The ocean is downhill from everywhere! Take a moment to trace the path of water from where you are to the closest ocean basin! We are all connected to the ocean!

Photos: Blue whale: NOAA; Albatross: Daniel Dietrich; Humpback whales: NOAA; Orcas: NOAA

06/05/2026

Deadline extended till June 19! You can advise sanctuary management as a Sanctuary Advisory Council member! Check the link in bio for link to apply!

Photos: Anemone and coralline algae, Rob Cala
Sunset at Southeast Farallon Island, Lisa Etherinton/NOAA

06/05/2026

First Live White Abalone Found in Five Years During Channel Islands Survey 🐚

A team of scientists and sanctuary staff conducting habitat surveys in NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary recently made an exciting discovery: a live white abalone, a federally endangered marine snail whose population has declined by an estimated 99% since the 1970s.

Read more about this rare sighting in our latest : https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/notes/2026/first-live-white-abalone-found-in-5-years-channel-islands-survey.html.

📸: Athena Maguire/CDFW

05/29/2026

Its World Otter Day! While the Southern Sea Otter is a rare sighting in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary waters these days, its not rare to see a river otter in the estuaries and on the ocean side. River otters are amazingly adaptable and resilient and thrive throughout wild and developed landscapes and waterscapes. Populations had dwindled in the Greater Farallones region due to fur trapping, pollution, and wetland loss, but as communities worked together to add protections and regulations, river otters have returned!
Don't be fooled by those cute faces, they are ferocious!

More info: https://www.nps.gov/pore/learn/nature/otters.htm

📷 Carlos Porrata

05/26/2026

nice swatch colors!

Happy Anniversary to Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary! 🐙🐟🪸🐋🐦

Cordell Bank is the centerpiece of the sanctuary, a bank that rises from the soft sediments on the edge of the continental shelf just 22 miles west of Point Reyes. The combination of ocean conditions and topography create a rich and diverse marine community around the bank. This supports all kinds of fish, invertebrates, marine mammals, and incredible seabirds. Join us in celebrating your Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary with their !

Learn more about this incredible place: https://cordellbank.noaa.gov/.

All year long, we will be highlighting the 🎨 palettes from across your National Marine Sanctuary System as we celebrate the site's anniversaries. Stay tuned to catch all 18 s

Stay tuned in, follow NOAA's Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries !

📸: Rob Lee/BAUE

05/26/2026

"Get involved with Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries! We are recruiting for the Sanctuary Advisory Councils. We are seeking volunteers for multiple seats to advise sanctuary management on coastal and ocean issues throughout the sanctuary region. Apply by June 5. (For Instagram: Check the link in our bio for information and how to apply).

Learn more: https://farallones.noaa.gov/manage/sac_recruitment.html
Photo: Chad King/NOAA "

05/25/2026

Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary coastline has a vibrant living ecosystem and storied human past with early travels/trade up and down the coast. Over a century before the sanctuary was established, the U.S. Life Saving Service was a federal agency established in 1871 that was dedicated to rescuing survivors of shipwrecks as navigational technology was just forming. Throughout the Greater Farallones region, there are over 5 U.S. Lifesaving stations, some of which you can visit. On Memorial Day, we honor all the brave servicemembers that have served, and those that rowed wooden boats through fierce waves and storms to help rescue people as ships went down. Today the modern U.S. Coast Guard rely on modern technology with efficiencies. The sanctuary visitor center is located at the Crissy Field/Golden Gate U.S. Life Saving Station and you can enjoy the historic features of the buildings while learning about the sanctuary inside.

📷 Historic Golden Gate/Crissy Field U.S. Lifesaving Station Credit: Historic Archives/NPS
Point Reyes U.S. Lifesaving Station near Chimney Rock can be visited during park hours/Credit: Bob Schwemmer
Point Arena U.S. Lifesaving Station in Arena Cove (now a hotel/Air BnB)/Credit: J.Stock/NOAA