WEBVTT
Kind: captions
Language: en-US

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From the tropical coral reefs of the Pacific
Islands,

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to shipwrecks in the cold waters of Lake Huron
and Lake Michigan,

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NOAA protects a system of national marine
sanctuaries and monuments in some of America’s

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most spectacular places.

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These underwater parks protect natural and
cultural resources that sustain livelihoods

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by providing recreation, economic benefits,
and coastal protection.

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They remind us of important ties to our history
and between cultures,

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and fill us with a sense of wonder.

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But our world is rapidly warming, and the
impacts are being felt in our national marine

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sanctuaries and the communities they support.

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Warming waters cause coral reefs to bleach
and kelp forests to collapse.

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More acidic waters and declining dissolved
oxygen levels are stressing ecosystems.

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Species are moving to new locations in response
to a changing ocean.

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Rising seas and increasingly strong storms
are damaging coastal habitats and historic

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shipwrecks.

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These changes are harming the resources that
sanctuaries protect and the communities that

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depend on them.

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In this rapidly changing environment, national
marine sanctuaries and other marine protected

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areas are more important than ever, acting
as refuges for biodiversity and offering nature-based

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solutions for flood and erosion control, food
security, and carbon storage.

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At Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
scientists and managers are working with partners

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to restore seven iconic coral reefs using
corals that are more resistant to the effects

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of warming, acidification, and disease,
creating reefs better adapted to future ocean

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conditions.

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Sanctuaries also protect and restore what
we call “blue carbon ecosystems”, like

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seagrasses,
mangroves,

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and kelp forests that pull carbon dioxide
out of the atmosphere,

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eventually burying it in sediments, where
it can’t contribute to warming.

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Sanctuaries are magnets for scientific research,
where we work to understand the effects of

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climate change on the food webs that support
seabirds,

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whales, fish, and humans.

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Sanctuaries help us understand human connections
to the ocean, and how changes will affect

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us.

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Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and
others around the country

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engage with tribes to understand how climate
change and ocean acidification may affect

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important food and cultural resources, 30.

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and develop solutions to address these challenges.

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We are working across cultures to protect
the extraordinary places we care about,

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while learning about our integral and unending
connection to the changing world around us.

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We all rely on healthy marine ecosystems to
support life on our planet.

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Together, we can address the causes and impacts
of climate change to ensure that our spectacular

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ocean and Great Lakes continue to thrive while
supporting our economies and values, and revealing

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their wonders for generations to come.