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.

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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.

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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.

      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

      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.

      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...