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Title 16, ConservationRelease 119-110

§1440 Research, Monitoring, and Education

Title 16 › CHAPTER 32 — MARINE SANCTUARIES › § 1440

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must run, fund, or help coordinate research, long-term monitoring, evaluation, and education programs for national marine sanctuaries. The Secretary can support studies and monitoring of sanctuary natural resources and processes (like mapping, exploration, and environmental and social studies), try ways to restore damaged habitats, and support work on cultural, archaeological, and historical objects and their care and display. Research results must be shared with the public. The Secretary can also fund and coordinate efforts to teach people about sanctuaries, focusing on conservation and sustainable public use. Audiences can include the public, teachers, students, sanctuary users, and resource managers. The Secretary can build visitor centers or similar facilities that explain the sanctuary’s conservation, recreational, ecological, historical, cultural, scientific, and aesthetic values, and can work with federal, state, regional, or local governments.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §1440

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general
The Secretary shall conduct, support, or coordinate research, monitoring, evaluation, and education programs consistent with subsections (b) and (c) and the purposes and policies of this chapter.
(b)Research and monitoring
(1)In general
The Secretary may—
(A)support, promote, and coordinate research on, and long-term monitoring of, sanctuary resources and natural processes that occur in national marine sanctuaries, including exploration, mapping, and environmental and socioeconomic assessment;
(B)develop and test methods to enhance degraded habitats or restore damaged, injured, or lost sanctuary resources; and
(C)support, promote, and coordinate research on, and the conservation, curation, and public display of, the cultural, archeological, and historical resources of national marine sanctuaries.
(2)Availability of results
The results of research and monitoring conducted, supported, or permitted by the Secretary under this subsection shall be made available to the public.
(c)Education
(1)In general
The Secretary may support, promote, and coordinate efforts to enhance public awareness, understanding, and appreciation of national marine sanctuaries and the System. Efforts supported, promoted, or coordinated under this subsection must emphasize the conservation goals and sustainable public uses of national marine sanctuaries and the System.
(2)Educational activities
Activities under this subsection may include education of the general public, teachers, students, national marine sanctuary users, and ocean and coastal resource managers.
(d)Interpretive facilities
(1)In general
The Secretary may develop interpretive facilities near any national marine sanctuary.
(2)Facility requirement
Any facility developed under this subsection must emphasize the conservation goals and sustainable public uses of national marine sanctuaries by providing the public with information about the conservation, recreational, ecological, historical, cultural, archeological, scientific, educational, or esthetic qualities of the national marine sanctuary.
(e)Consultation and coordination
In conducting, supporting, and coordinating research, monitoring, evaluation, and education programs under subsection (a) and developing interpretive facilities under subsection (d), the Secretary may consult or coordinate with Federal, interstate, or regional agencies, States or local governments.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 309 of Pub. L. 92–532 was renumbered section 308 and is classified to section 1439 of this title.

Amendments

2000—Pub. L. 106–513 amended section catchline and text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “(a) In general.—The Secretary shall conduct research, monitoring, evaluation, and education programs as are necessary and reasonable to carry out the purposes and policies of this chapter. “(b) Promotion and Coordination of Sanctuary Use.—The Secretary shall take such action as is necessary and reasonable to promote and coordinate the use of national marine sanctuaries for research, monitoring, and education purposes. Such action may include consulting with Federal agencies, States, local governments, regional agencies, interstate agencies, or other persons to promote use of one or more sanctuaries for research, monitoring, and education, including coordination with the National Estuarine Research Reserve System.” 1992—Pub. L. 102–587 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section read as follows: “The Secretary shall take such action as is necessary to promote and coordinate the use of national marine sanctuaries for research purposes, including— “(1) requiring that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in conducting or supporting marine research, give priority to research involving national marine sanctuaries; and “(2) consulting with other Federal and State agencies to promote use by such agencies of one or more sanctuaries for marine research.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 1440

Title 16, Conservation

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110