Ambient noise in the ocean is a topic that has been widely studied since the 1940s. Over the last 25 years the effects of noise on marine organisms has become a concern. The primary issue has been the potential of noise to adversely affect marine mammals. The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (SBNMS) and upper estuary of the St. Lawrence River are sites where the degradation of habitat due to increasing noise levels is a concern because they are feeding grounds and summer havens for numerous species of marine mammals. In an effort to provide information for better sanctuary management this report describes the current understanding of ambient noise and existing levels of ambient noise and its relationship to marine mammals in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and the designated marine park area of the Upper St. Lawrence River Estuary.

This report outlines the potential impacts of coastal protection structures on the resources of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. At least 15 miles of the Sanctuary's 300-mile shoreline are currently armored with seawalls and riprap revetments. Most of these coastal protection structures are placed above the mean high tide line, the official boundary of the Sanctuary, yet some influences of armoring impinge on the marine realm and on recreational use. In addition, continued sea level rise and accompanying coastal retreat will force many of these structures below the high tide line over time. The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary staff has recognized the significance of coastal armoring, identifying it as a critical issue in the Coastal Armoring Action Plan of the draft Joint Management Plan.

This is a new release of the original 1961 edition.

The vital sign selection process of the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Program (I&M) identified fish, macroinvertebrates, and physical habitat characteristics as a critical need for the parks of the National Capital Region Network (NCRN). In 2005, the National Capital Region Inventory and Monitoring Network (NCRN) initiated a long-term water quality and quantity monitoring program, funded in part by the National Park Service Water Resources Division. The Biological monitoring portion of the program is carried out every 6 years at 37 sites within 10 of the NCRN parks. The data collected using this protocol will provide much needed baseline information on the stream biological resources in the NCRN, particularly in terms of community structure and composition. The information will also be used to determine long term trends in community composition, as well as trends in the abundance and distribution of individual species.

Fort Clatsop National Memorial was established in 1958 to commemorate the culmination and the 1805 to 1806 winter encampment of the Lewis and Clark Expedition on the Oregon coast. In 2004, Congress authorized the expansion of the Fort Clatsop National Memorial from 51 ha (125 acres) to 1295 ha (3,200 acres) and renamed the National Park Service unit to Lewis and Clark National Historical Park (LEWI). LEWI now encircles the ecologically significant Columbia River estuary.