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How much life is hidden in the sea! by fragolina160 How much life is hidden in the sea! A shoal of Sarpa salpa chase the light in the shallow waters of the Marine Protected Area of Portofino (Genova).

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Turtle by matt340 Red Sea, Egypt

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My shells

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Sea Lions by edb3_16 One of many pictures taken while swimming with the wild Sea Lions. Interacting with them was unreal!

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A1 by valentinaantihi

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Jellyfish by CommeLaLavandePhoto

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~ Sea-Urchin ~

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DSC by BuchbergerPeter Malediven

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DSC by BuchbergerPeter Malediven

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Surfing is like making love, no matter how many times you’ve done it .. by bucketandspade37

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Happy Valentine’s Day from your National Marine Sanctuary System!

Here, a Hawaiian monk seal and green sea turtle snooze together on a beach in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

Photo: Mark Sullivan/NOAA

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Don’t look so disgruntled! The Hawaiian monk seal may be one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world, but their numbers have been increasing for the past three years! 

The population is now estimated to be around 1,400 seals – about 1,100 seals in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and 300 seals in the main Hawaiian Islands, including Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Learn more about this amazing recovery effort and NOAA’s role in it here. 

(Photo: Megan Nagel/USFWS)

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Why is biodiversity important to national marine sanctuaries?

“Biodiversity” refers to the variety of different types of species in a given ecosystem. Many national marine sanctuaries support enormous biodiversity. By protecting these ecosystems, we can ensure they thrive for future generations.

This elephant seal knows and will shout it out loud: biodiversity is an important and essential part of the National Marine Sanctuary System!

Transcript beneath the cut.

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