Contact Information
Address:
100 Museum Drive
Newport News, VA 23606
United StatesPhone:
757-599-3122
Monitor National Marine Sanctuary
On January 30, 1975, the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary (MNMS) was designated our nation's first national marine sanctuary. Situated just 16 miles off the coast of Cape Hatteras, N.C., Monitor National Marine Sanctuary protects the shipwreck of the famed Civil War ironclad, USS Monitor. The Monitor, while under tow to Beaufort, N.C., sank during a storm on December 31, 1862, and was not discovered until 1973. Today the sanctuary is managed by a staff of seven full-time employees through a combination of education, archaeology, marine science and regulatory programs. Staff members are located at offices in Newport News, VA.