Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 26-27, 2009

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Monitor National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council to Hold Public Meeting

The Monitor National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council will hold a public meeting October 26, 2009, at the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary office in Newport News, Va. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. with a public comment period at 11:00 a.m. NOAA�s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries manages the sanctuary. The council's role is to advise the sanctuary superintendent on issues involving sanctuary use or resources, sanctuary research objectives, and educational and outreach opportunities.

Sanctuary advisory councils have proven to be an invaluable source of advice and input by members of the community regarding the management of our national marine sanctuaries, said David Alberg, Monitor sanctuary superintendent. The advisory council consists of 14 members, including five government seats representing the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, National Park Service, North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, and Virginia Department of Historic Resources.

The council also has nine non-government seats representing sanctuary constituent groups including recreational diving, recreational and commercial fishing, maritime archaeological research, conservation, heritage tourism, maritime museums, education, and the general public.

The meeting agenda can be downloaded from the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary Web site, http://monitor.noaa.gov. For further information, please contact Shannon Ricles, Education and Outreach Coordinator, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, 100 Museum Drive, Newport News, VA 23606. Ricles may also be reached by e-mail at shannon.ricles@noaa.gov and by phone at 757-591-7328.

Monitor National Marine Sanctuary was designated in 1975 to protect the wreck of the famed Civil War ironclad USS Monitor, which sank during a storm 16 miles off Cape Hatteras, N.C. in 1862.

NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth�s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources. Visit http://www.noaa.gov.

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