Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument Map & GIS Data

The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monument consists of approximately 4,913 square miles (12,724 square kilometers) and is located about 130 miles east-southeast of Cape Cod. Approximately the size of Connecticut, the monument includes two distinct areas, one that covers three canyons and one that covers four seamounts.

These undersea canyons and seamounts contain fragile and largely pristine deep marine ecosystems and rich biodiversity, including important deep sea corals, endangered whales and sea turtles, other marine mammals and numerous fish species.

On September 15, President Obama designated the first marine national monument in the Atlantic Ocean, the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, using his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906. The area has been the subject of scientific exploration and discovery since the 1970s. This is the first and only national marine monument in the Atlantic Ocean.