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Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary

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The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary is a National Marine Sanctuary in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties on the Central Coast of California. It was designated on October 11, 2024, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It

is the first marine sanctuary to have been proposed by an Indigenous group. It protects nationally significant natural, cultural, and historical resources in Central California's coastal and ocean waters and offers opportunities for research, community engagement, and education and outreach activities. The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary was the 17th national marine sanctuary and sixth on the United States West Coast. It was designated only five weeks after the designation of the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary on September 6, 2024, which in turn was the first since the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary in 2021.

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