One year ago, I wrote about a special corner of the ocean known for its biodiversity, productivity and unique underwater canyons and mountains. I described an area where "coral canyons plunge thousands of feet below the surface, some deeper than the Grand Canyon," and where "mountains (or 'seamounts') reach 7,000 feet above the ocean floor."
My family and I have traveled the globe to visit amazing ocean places and meet people who rely on the sea for their livelihoods and inspiration. But the place I described in my blog last year is not in Australia, it's not in Mexico, it's not off the coast of South America. It's here in the United States.
And thankfully, President Obama today took strategic action to protect these unique marine habitats for future generations. This step is particularly critical in light of our need to work together to combat climate change.
Approximately 150 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Marine Monument is home to the only underwater mountains in America's portion of the Atlantic Ocean. Some of these seamounts are taller than the Appalachian Mountains, including North Carolina's Mt. Mitchell which soars skyward just a few hours from where I used to attend graduate school.
Also in the new monument are canyons with walls lined with corals, crevices plunging thousands of feet below the surface of the ocean, some deeper than Grand Canyon National Park here in the West. Rare species abound in these biologically diverse niches and ecosystems. Our learning about them is just beginning.
Research shows the importance of protecting key areas of our ocean so that it - and humankind - will be more resilient to the inevitable global changes in the climate and our ocean health looming ahead. Like in other parts of the world, species off the coast of New England are threatened by ocean warming and ocean acidification. The ocean is getting more acidic due to absorption of increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Acidic waters make it extremely hard for corals and other invertebrates to produce shells and exoskeletons.
Beyond economic and scientific reasons for preserving our ocean, humans have a creative and calming connection with the big blue. This connection provides us with enormous cognitive, emotional, psychological, social, and spiritual benefits -- our Blue Mind.
We cannot all travel to the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument to feel the power and witness the beauty, but there is peace of mind in knowing that these unique habitats are permanently protected.
President Obama has preserved a precious undersea world that holds new and important untold scientific discoveries. He is also helping to reinforce the deep bond between us and the ocean. A bond that can provide each of us with a lifetime of fulfillment and wonder.