The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is proud to announce the release of the Condition Report 2010 for the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. The condition report can be downloaded at: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/condition.
Located off the Central California coast and encompassing 966 square nautical miles, Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary protects a diversity of highly productive marine habitats and supports an abundance of species. It is a complex system of bays, estuaries, mudflats, marsh and intertidal, coastal and oceanic waters, and is influenced by the highly urbanized San Francisco Bay area populated by nearly 8 million people. The sanctuary has one of the world’s most significant populations of white sharks, in addition to one of the largest concentrations of breeding seabirds. It is a destination feeding ground for endangered blue and humpback whales, and is one of the most important areas along the West Coast for marine commerce such as fishing, shipping, whale watching and tourism.