Monitor National Marine Sanctuary
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| Monitor National Marine Sanctuary | |
|---|---|
 Monitor National Marine Sanctuary | |
 Interactive map of Monitor National Marine Sanctuary | |
| Location | Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, United States |
| Coordinates | 35°00′07″N 75°24′23″W / 35.00195°N 75.40633°W[1] |
| Area | .785 square nautical miles (2.69 km2) |
| Established | February 5, 1975 |
| Governing body | NOAA National Ocean Service |
| monitor | |
Monitor National Marine Sanctuary is the site of the wreck of the USS Monitor, one of the most famous shipwrecks in U.S. history. It was designated as the country's first national marine sanctuary on February 5, 1975,[2] and is one of only two of the seventeen[3] national marine sanctuaries created to protect a cultural resource rather than a natural resource. The sanctuary comprises a column of water 1 nautical mile (1.2 mi; 1.9 km) in diameter extending from the ocean’s surface to the seabed around the wreck of the American Civil War ironclad warship, which lies 16 nautical miles (18 mi; 30 km) south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Average water depth in the sanctuary is 230 feet (70 m). Since it sank in 1862, Monitor has become an artificial reef attracting numerous fish species, including amberjack, black sea bass, oyster toadfish, and great barracuda.
In March 2025, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the parent organization of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, terminated the lease for the building, at the recommendation of the Department of Government Efficiency, to save $5,963.[4][5]
Monitor was the prototype for a class of American Civil War ironclad, turreted warships—known as monitors—that significantly altered both naval technology and marine architecture in the nineteenth century. Designed by the Swedish engineer John Ericsson, the vessel contained all of the emerging innovations that revolutionized warfare at sea. Monitor was constructed in a mere 110 days.[6]
While the design of Monitor was well suited for river combat, her low freeboard and heavy turret made her highly unseaworthy in rough waters. This feature probably led to the early loss of Monitor, which foundered during a heavy storm. Swamped by high waves while under tow by the sidewheel paddle steamer USS Rhode Island, she sank on December 31, 1862, in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Hatteras. Sixteen of her 62 crewmen were lost in the storm.
Discovery of wreck
In 1973, the wreck of Monitor was located on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean by an interdisciplinary team of scientists from Duke University’s Marine Laboratory.[7] The discovery was preceded by extensive historical research and the selection of probable areas where Monitor sank. The search team located what they believed to be the wreck of Monitor using side-scan sonar and remotely operated cameras. In 1974, the United States Navy and the National Geographic Society launched a second expedition that confirmed the identity of Monitor and produced detailed photographic documentation of the wreck site. The next year, on February 5, 1975, the site was designated as the nation’s first national marine sanctuary.[7] In 1986, Monitor was designated a National Historic Landmark.[8]
