Conserving coastal places provides economic benefits to local communities. For example, across all national marine sanctuaries, about $4 billion annually is generated in local coastal and ocean-dependent economies from diverse activities like commercial fishing, research, and recreation-tourist activities. The National Ocean Service works to conserve marine areas—and preserve the economic benefits of these special places to local communities—through coastal management and place-based conservation programs such as the National Estuarine Research Reserve System and National Marine Sanctuaries.

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