Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

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• Learn more about American history, biology, ecology, environmental science, marine biology, oceanography, and visual learners.

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NOAA’s official website for the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary contains informational text, maps, and pictures that just begin to hint at the wonders of this important part of America’s marine landscape and the National Marine Sanctuary System. At this site, you’ll learn about the qualities that make the Olympic Coast extraordinary.Visit The Living Sanctuary to learn about ocean processes, the underwater landscape, marine wildlife, marine habitats, traditional cultures, and maritime history. Here you will find all kinds of useful information including:

• Individual species lists of the marine mammals, invertebrates, and seaweeds on the Olympic Coast
• Information about how animals are stranded on the beaches and what to do if you find one
• Details about the area’s seabirds and fish
• Descriptions of the coastal habitats including tidepools, the ocean floor, a kelp forest, midwater, pelagic, and the reefs as well the physical environment
• Explanations of ocean processes such as upwelling, food chains, weather, waves, and currents
• History and cultural perspectives of shipwrecks, maritime history, and native cultures of the sanctuary