Guam
Located in the Mariana Archipelago east of the Philippines, the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument protects approximately 95,216 square miles of submerged lands and waters. The Mariana Trench is the deepest place on Earth, deeper than the height of Mount Everest above sea level. It is five times longer than the Grand Canyon and includes some 50,532,102 acres that are virtually unknown to humans. The Volcanic Unit – an arc of undersea mud volcanoes and thermal vents – supports unusual life forms in some of the harshest conditions imaginable. Here species survive in the midst of hydrothermal vents that produce highly acidic and boiling water. In the Islands Unit, unique reef habitats support marine biological communities dependent on basalt rock foundations, unlike those throughout the remainder of the Pacific.
Latest News
Our People
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announced Dr. Sean Macduff as the new superintendent for the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument. Macduff will begin his new position in the Service’s monument office in Garapan mid-September, 2023.
Science and Technology
Located east of the Philippines, the Mariana Trench is massive. It is 120 times larger than the Grand Canyon and includes millions of acres virtually unknown to humans.
Get Involved
Not quite sure what the National Wildlife Refuge System is and all that it encompasses? This primer gives a quick overview.
Wildlife Management
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is partnering with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, state and territorial governments and others to conserve the ocean and remote islands and atolls in it. The two federal agencies cooperatively manage four marine national monuments in the...
For Parents and Educators
No matter your age or level of knowledge, the ocean has lots to teach. Here are eight ocean themes ripe for exploring with students-- and the educational standards they meet.
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