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Look down from space
and you'll see one of the most biologically rich
and productive ocean areas on the planet,
protected by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
through its Central California national marine sanctuaries:
Monterey Bay, Gulf of the Farallones off San Francisco,
and Cordell Bank.
The Gulf of the Farallones sanctuary,
headquartered in San Francisco,
manages nearly 1,300 square miles of open-ocean
and coastal waters adjacent to nearly 8 million people.
The sanctuary conducts scientific research
to better understand and protect its natural resources
in this complex urban setting.
The dynamic geological forces that folded and uplifted our
coastal mountains also created the dynamic
features of our seafloor.
The Farallon Islands emerge from the sea 27 miles offshore.
They are a bed & breakfast for a quarter-million seabirds,
and a hub for many other species of marine life,
including white sharks.
Just beyond the islands the shelf breaks abruptly,
becoming a steep escarpment of submerged ravines and canyons
plunging to over 4000 foot depths.
Clinging to these steep slopes are sea urchins,
and myriad other species,
including deep-sea corals and sponges.
Mapping and visualizing the seafloor and its biodiversity
help managers protect important
habitats, plants, and animals.
Scientists have studied *** Shoal,
with its geologically complex makeup
of faulted and folded sedimentary rock
and massive granite rock.
West of *** Shoal is a newly discovered region,
geologically similar to *** Shoal.
Shallow Rittenburg Bank, though little explored,
could offer a comparable wealth of flourishing sea life,
and be a key component to the region's productivity.
In the Fall of 2012 Rittenburg Bank,
West *** Shoal, and the Farallon Escarpment
will be explored,
in search of deep-sea corals and sponges.
Protecting these habitats today
can help ensure a healthier ocean ecosystem for tomorrow.