happy 5oth anniversary, National Marine Sanctuaries!

That was my greeting inside the cards I sent to fourteen young relatives.

That's six great-nieces, five great-nephews, two nephews, and one niece.

If I had more cards, I would have mailed off even more, as I have seven others that missed out this time.

And just what was the spark that lit this fire to share the occasion with these children in my life?

Well, believe it or not, it's because of something the US Post Office has done.

Here's what I wrote in the cards.

 

"Happy 50th anniversary of the National Marine Sanctuaries!

In honor of the occasion, the US Post Office has issued 16 new stamps. The stamp on your envelope was taken at the sanctuary that this card honors. Be sure to read about it on the back of the card!" 

Nice, right?

And I can hear the question: "If there were 16 stamps, why not send 16 cards?"

Well, let me tell you why.

I didn't have sixteen of them.

The package of cards that I bought at the 2011 Ocean Film Festival only contained cards for the National Marine Sanctuaries that existed at the time.

The total count is now 17, as of 2021's addition of the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast NMS.

Some of the older ones have been expanded and had slight name changes, but they're still there, protecting delicate ecosystems and marine life.

So, how about a roll call of those 14 on the cards?

Oh, yes, let's!

 

The first-ever was the Monitor NMS, established in 1975, just three years after the US Congress passed the Marine Protection, Research, Sanctuaries, and Research Act. That went to Smitty's granddaughter, Caitlyn, along with the 2nd stamp in the 4th row of the pane of 16. That stamp has a sand tiger shark in Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. (Photo by: Greg McFall, NOAA)

The Channel Islands NMS, the first in the Pacific Ocean and off the California coast, was established in 1980. Tony's youngest grandson, Gilberto, aka Bert, was sent that one, along with stamp 1 of the 4th row, with sea lions in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. (Photo by: Jeff Harris, NOAA)

1981 saw the establishment of two marine sanctuaries!

The first of those was the Gray's Reef NMS, right off the Georgia coast! Ronnie's younger twin granddaughter, Leila, will receive that, as well as stamp 4 of row 3, Atlantic sea nettles in Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. (Photo by: Michael Durham)

[I specifically chose that card for her, as an inside joke, because the photographer has the same first name as her dad, Ronnie's son.]

The Greater Farallones NMS, once called the Gulf of the Farallones NMS, was on the West Coast, later that year. Smitty's grandson, Kobe, will receive that one, along with stamp 2 of row 2, depicting The Farallon Islands in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. (Photo by: Norbert Wu)

[I specifically chose that card for him because the photographer is Asian American, like him, so it will be inspirational.]

 

There followed a gap of time until 1986 when the fifth such place, the NMS of American Samoa, (soon to be relabeled as the Fagatelle Bay NMS) was established in the Pacific Ocean. My youngest niece, Aubree, daughter of my half-brother Matthew, will have that in the mail, with stamp 3 of row 4 with the Rose Atoll in the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. (Photo by: Wendy Cover, NOAA)

[I specifically chose that card for her because the photo on this stamp was taken by a woman, so it will be inspirational.]

 

Cordell Bank NMS, making the third one on the California coast, was established in 1989. Sebastien, aka Sebi, Tony's older grandson from his daughter, will get this one, including the stamp 3 of row 3, featuring the swirling mass of a school of young rockfish in the reef in Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary. (Photo by: Joseph Hoyt, NOAA)

[There's a nice story behind that stamp photo!]

 

Florida Keys NMS came along in 1990, making a seventh safe haven for marine life. Conner, the younger son of half-brother Michael, gets this one, with stamp 1 of row 1, featuring the toothy grin of a Porcupinefish, a type of Balloonfish, in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. (Photo by: Daryl Duda)

[I specifically chose this card for Conner because of the funny story behind the photo!]

 

A stellar year for Earth's oceans was 1992, the 30th anniversary of the act that created the  National Marine Sanctuary system, with four new ones established.

The Flower Garden Banks NMS was the first of the quartet, in January, protecting an area off the Texas coast in the Gulf of Mexico. This goes to Christian Jr., aka CJ, the stepson of my brother Ronnie's daughter, Christina. The envelope has stamp 1 of row 3, a Queen angelfish in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. (Photo by: G.P. Schmahl)

[There's a nice story behind that photo George took, too.]

September 1992 saw the establishment of Monterey Bay NMS, the fourth and final of those located off California in the Pacific Ocean. That goes to Miyah, the soon-to-be-adopted older daughter of Christina. Stamp 2 of row 3 adorns her envelope of a playful sea otter in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. (Photo by: Norbert Wu)

[I specifically chose this card for the littlest girl because of that otter on the stamp!]

October 1992 welcomed Stellwagen Bank NMS to Massachusetts Bay, in the Atlantic Ocean. Tony's oldest grandson, Dylan, will get this one, with stamp 3 of row 1, presenting a breaching humpback whale in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. (Photo by: Elliott Hazen, NOAA)

[I chose this one for the football player because of the right whale on the card!]

Then, in November, came the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale NMS to our 50th state. That one goes to Carissa, sister of Dylan, and Tony's older granddaughter from his son, Damon. Stamp 4 of row 2 is on her envelope, showing a Hawaiian monk seal in Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. (Photo by: Ed Lyman, NOAA)

[Her card was chosen for her because of the whale on it, like her brother's.]

[There is also a nice story behind the stamp, right here.] 

1994 saw the creation of the twelfth haven, Olympic Coast NMS, off the coast of the state of Washington. Alyssa, the slightly older of Ronnie's twin granddaughters, will receive this card and the photo of Sea stacks in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary captured on stamp 4 of row 1. (Photo by: Matt McIntosh, NOAA/National Marine Sanctuary Foundation)

[I specifically chose this card for her because the photographer has the same first name as her PopPop!]

[There's also a nice story about rain not stopping that photo!]

Eight years later, in 2000, Thunder Bay NMS was established on Lake Huron of the Great Lakes, the one that puts the "H" in "HOMES".  Miss Chloe, the younger soon-to-be-adopted daughter of Christina, will get this one, with stamp 4 of row 4, showcasing an icy shoreline in Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. (Photo by: Kate Thompson, NOAA)

[Notice that this stamp's photo was also taken by a woman, so it will be inspirational. Plus the woman tells a nice story about her photo!]

 

It would be 2006 before another haven - the fourteenth - was established, though it was not a sanctuary. Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is northwest of Hawai'i. My nephew, Merritt, the older son of half-brother Michael, is getting that one with the email joke on it, as he will appreciate it most! A pair of red-footed boobies at Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, stamp 2 of row 1, graces his envelope and is sure to make him laugh!  (Photo by: Mark Sullivan)

 

The Rose Atoll Marine National Monument, established in 2009, is located near the NMS of American Samoa. Stamp 3 of row 4 has a nice photo of coral there.

Mallows Bay NMS, in the Potomac River, was established in 2019. There's even a stamp on the panel for it, stamp 1 of row 2, of a sunset there, as well as a story, too.

Then, as mentioned earlier, last year saw the addition of Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast NMS, another Great Lakes site, this one in Lake Michigan. (And this was too recent to have been included in the panel of 16 stamps.)

 

Seventeen havens for non-human life, all told.

All established for the sake of future generations, not quite three generations ago.

All established by our government, for the good of the world.

i thank You, God.