Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary

Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
Tibbetts Point Light in Cape Vincent, New York overlooks the eastern boundary of the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary where Lake Ontario meets the St. Lawrence River.
LocationSoutheastern Lake Ontario off New York
Area1,722 sq mi (4,460 km2)
EstablishedSeptember 6, 2024; 2 months ago (2024-09-06)
Governing bodyNOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/lake-ontario/
A 2024 map of the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary.

The Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary[1] is a National Marine Sanctuary in the waters of the United States in southeastern Lake Ontario off the coast of New York. It was designated on September 6, 2024, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).[2] It protects the area's maritime cultural history, including historic shipwrecks, and areas of great cultural, historical, and spiritual importance to Native American peoples of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.[1][3][4] It offers opportunities for research, community engagement, education and outreach activities, and maritime-heritage-related tourism.[1][3][4]

The Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary was the 16th national marine sanctuary and third on the Great Lakes,[1][3][4][5][6] as well as the first in the waters of the State of New York.[4] It was the first national marine sanctuary created since the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary in 2021.[6] It held the status of newest national marine sanctuary for only five weeks, until the designation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary on October 11, 2024.[7][8]

  1. ^ a b c d "Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary". sanctuaries.noaa.gov. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  2. ^ "Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary Designation Ceremony". sanctuaries.noaa.gov. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "About Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary". sanctuaries.noaa.gov. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d "Biden-Harris Administration designates new national marine sanctuary in New York state". sanctuaries.noaa.gov. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. June 5, 2024. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  5. ^ "Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary" (PDF). sanctuaries.noaa.gov. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Plunkett, Rachel (June 2024). "Introducing Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary: A Maritime Legacy". sanctuaries.noaa.gov. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  7. ^ "NOAA reaches key milestone in designation of Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary". NOAA. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. September 6, 2024. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  8. ^ "Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary Designation History". sanctuaries.noaa.gov/. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 14 October 2024.