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Photo Gallery: U.S. Marine Protected Areas

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In the United States, 14 national marine sanctuaries, or underwater national parks, are part of the country's marine protected areas inventory and encompass 150,000 square miles (390,000 square kilometers). The kelp forests of the Channel Islands, off the coast of southern California, are a sanctuary for sea lions, seals, and humpback, gray, and blue whales. The 1,470 square-mile (3,870-square-kilometer) sanctuary was designated in 1980. Photograph by Claire Fackler