Welcome to the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument! Located 130 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, the Monument is a biologically diverse area encompassing 3.1 million acres of open ocean – an area approximately the size of Connecticut. It was established by Presidential Proclamation in 2016 and protects four underwater seamounts (Bear, Mytilus, Physalia, and Retriever Seamounts) and three submarine canyons (Oceanographer, Lydonia, and Gilbert).
Visit the Monument Management Plan page!

We want to hear from you! 

Reminder: Please send in your ideas and comments by January 31st!*

We invite the community to share ideas and suggestions to help set the Monument’s long-term vision and guide stewardship priorities for the Atlantic’s first  marine national monument marine national monument
A marine national monument is an ocean area designated by a presidential proclamation under the Antiquities Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partners with the  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), state and territorial governments and others to manage marine national monuments that conserve the ocean and remote islands and atolls within the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Learn more about marine national monument . 

Click here to visit the Monument Management Plan Page

*In light of the discrepancies between the comment closed date on the Notice of Intent and what has been communicated throughout the planning process, both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration have agreed to take ideas and comments on the management of the monument through January 31st.

Latest News

an octopus sits half-buried in sediment on the ocean floor. It's tentacles curl up and rest against its head
Land Management
Notice of Intent published to draft Management Plan for Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have published a Federal Register Notice of Intent (NOI) to draft a Monument Management plan.
a black and white painting of an ancient wooly mammoth, with thick hide and large curled tusks emerging from it's head.
Wildlife Wonders
Remains of woolly mammoths found in Marine National Monument
The:Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument: Where wooly mammoths once roamed, deep-sea corals and others now call home.
Whales breaching the surface with sea birds in the background
Get Involved
Service invites public input on Marine National Monument Management Plan
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service invites public input on Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument Management planning
a white and gray whale fin emerging from the ocean
Wildlife Wonders
The monument in your backyard
The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Monument is a national treasure
Aerial view of an island atoll surrounded by sandy reef in the deep blue ocean
Wildlife Management
"Hope Spots" in the Ocean
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...
A pair of dolphins (marine mammals with tails and flippers) cruise through blue waters.
Wildlife Wonders
Wildlife Videos
Wildlife videos can take you to wonderful outdoor spaces and show you amazing sights without your leaving home.
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It is the first marine national monument marine national monument
A marine national monument is an ocean area designated by a presidential proclamation under the Antiquities Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partners with the  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), state and territorial governments and others to manage marine national monuments that conserve the ocean and remote islands and atolls within the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Learn more about marine national monument in the Atlantic Ocean and currently the only Atlantic Monument in the United States. The Monument is approximately the size of Connecticut (3.1 million acres) and is 130 miles off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Due to it's deep sea nature, it is not easily accessible to the general public. 

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

       

      What We Do

      Partnered with NOAA, we protect, research, and overlook this rich area of biodiversity. 

      Our Species

      The Monument is know for its abundance of marine mammals, deep-sea corals, rich diversity of fishes, sea turtles, and seabirds.

      A greenish brown sea turtle laying on the beach

      The Kemp's ridley turtle is the smallest of the sea turtles, with adults reaching about 2 feet in length and weighing up to 100 pounds. The adult Kemp's ridley has an oval carapace that is almost as wide as it is long and is usually olive-gray in color. The carapace has five pairs of costal...

      FWS Focus
      Species
      Kingdom
      Animalia
      Taxonomic Rank
      Species

      Get Involved

      While over 100 miles away from land, there are still some fantastic ways to experience the Monument including recreational fishing and bird and mammal viewing (like whale watching).

      Projects and Research

      Since the early 1900s, researchers have recognized the uniqueness of the waters and submerged lands within the monument boundaries. This recognition has piqued the interests of oceanographers, including physical, geological, chemical, and biological oceanographers.

      a pink octopus sitting on the sea floor.
      Image Details
      Monument Management Plan

      Navigate back to the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument

      "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." – Helen Keller 

      Just 130 miles off the coast of Cape Cod lies one of our country’s greatest marine treasures: The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine Monument. Here, thousands of feet down in the pitch-black abyss of the Atlantic...

      Monument Management Plan