A Unique Marine Treasure
New England is home to the only marine national monument in the Atlantic Ocean: the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts. Designated by President Obama in 2016, the monument provides refuge to an abundance of species, both rare and common.
CLF in Action
CLF has advocated for protecting special places in our ocean for decades. In 2016, we played a key role in the creation of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, the first marine monument in the Atlantic Ocean. And we have not stopped. We are fighting to keep this and other vital ocean areas safe.
In 2020, the Trump administration opened the monument to commercial fishing – an illegal move that would harm our fishing communities and the ocean. CLF sued the Trump administration and, in time, we were instrumental in getting President Biden to restore the monument’s original protections.
In February 2026, the Trump administration once again moved to open the monument to commercial fishing, and NOAA finalized a rule implementing that decision in April 2026. On May 5, 2026, CLF, alongside NRDC, the Center for Biological Diversity, and whale-watch naturalist Zack Klyver, filed suit to block this unlawful rollback. This isn’t the first time we’ve gone to court to defend this monument – and we won’t stop until its protections are fully restored.
What’s at Stake
The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts protects ancient and fragile coral communities, endangered whales, and an abundance of unique and rare marine life. Allowing commercial fishing or other industrial activities would devastate this special place. Once a coral community is destroyed or an endangered species goes extinct, there’s no going back.
The monument’s original protections safeguarded the Canyons and Seamounts from these threats. Restoring those protections will allow fish populations to rebound, provide a safe habitat for endangered species, and help our coastal economies thrive.
Climate change and ocean acidification already threaten our ocean resources. That’s why we must continue to fully protect the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. We must give future generations the best chance of inheriting a healthy ocean.
