Mallows Bay-Potomac River Takes Important Step Toward First New Marine Sanctuary in 19 Years

切萨皮克湾流域的新保护区将保护200多艘沉船的“幽灵舰队”

Silver Spring, MD [May 31, 2019] – 国家保护和保护组织与当地社区合作伙伴一起庆祝在波托马克河的马洛斯湾指定新的国家海洋保护区的重要里程碑. 该保护区预计将于2019年底完成，这将是19年来第一个指定的保护区.

拟议中的马洛斯湾-波托马克河国家海洋保护区占地18平方英里，包含了跨越美国历史的独特而丰富的遗产, 从美国原住民文化到革命和内战时期的活动，再到工业时代的汽船运输和历史上的商业捕鱼活动. Its most prominent feature is the “Ghost Fleet,” or the remains of more than 200 shipwrecks, 包括100多艘木制蒸汽船，这些船是美国参与第一次世界大战时建造的，经常出现在水线以上.  它将成为切萨皮克湾流域内的第一个国家海洋保护区，并将由NOAA联合管理, the State of Maryland, and Charles County.

Kris Sarri, president and CEO of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, said, “When you visit Mallows Bay and paddle among  the remains of an underwater fleet, it transports you back in history, all the while enjoying the abundant wildlife that now calls the shipwrecks home. Mallows Bay is a special place that deserves protection forever. NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Senator Cardin, Senator Van Hollen, Congressman Hoyer, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, 查尔斯县与利益相关者的广泛联盟合作，指定了这一地点，我们感谢他们的所有努力.”

“将幽灵舰队指定为切萨皮克湾的第一个国家海洋保护区，是对独特的文化和自然资源的恰当致敬，它为美国历史上的重要篇章提供了切实的联系.S. history,” said Katherine Malone-France, interim chief preservation officer at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “我们赞扬国家海洋和大气管理局采取这一行动，以促进一个具有历史意义的地方，传达美国工业主义的崛起, ingenuity, and a citizen war effort that heralded the emergence of our country as a world power. This designation will ensure that more Americans are able to experience this special place.”

“我们很高兴得知，马洛斯湾现在离成为近20年来第一个国家海洋保护区又近了一步，这是切萨皮克的第一个国家海洋保护区,” said Chesapeake Conservancy President and CEO Joel Dunn. “Mallows Bay is one of the Chesapeake’s great treasures, a place steeped in our nation’s history, a thriving ecological habitat, and just a short drive from the capital of the United States. It’s a place to visit that deserves national and international attention, 与大沼泽地国家公园或金门国家娱乐区不相上下.”    

Photo by Don Shomette

“如果没有历史学家唐·肖梅特的远见卓识和领导，没有查尔斯县和众多历史学家的大力支持，这个沉船保护区是不可能实现的, recreational, conservation, tourism, Native American and educational groups over the past five years,” said Steve Bunker, chair of the Friends of Mallows Bay. “这个伟大的团队将在未来的几个月和几年里发挥关键作用，因为我们将努力更好地将公众与丰富的历史联系起来, natural beauty and recreational opportunities of this area.”

幽灵舰队的马洛湾遗址包括200多艘沉船，跨越了三个世纪的海洋遗产. As the largest and most varied collection of shipwrecks in the western hemisphere, the Ghost Fleet is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was named a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Over time, 这些废弃的船只为濒临灭绝和受威胁的野生动物提供了丰富的栖息地, including bald eagles, herons, and osprey, river otters and beaver, and numerous fish species.  

Situated less than 40 miles south of Washington, D.C., it will be the closest national marine sanctuary to our nation’s capital, 为在公众中建立对国家海洋保护区系统的支持开辟了新的可能性.

This proposed sanctuary provides ample potential for educational and outreach opportunities. Mallows Bay is an outdoor classroom for two Ocean Guardian schools in Maryland, 哪里是一个安全的空间，让学生在传统框架之外探索和学习，远离屏幕. Sanctuaries, including Mallows Bay, are a model for outdoor classrooms, getting kids outdoors to learn skills and becoming interested in the environmental field. Most recently, partnerships with the National Association of Black Scuba Divers, “有目的的潜水”和“海洋里的初级科学家”为高中生提供了泳池内潜水指导，并介绍了其他先进技术，这些技术有朝一日可能会成为学业和职业追求的灵感.

Mallows Bay is a popular spot for canoeing, kayaking, fishing, birdwatching and other outdoor recreation, making it an economic engine for the region. 保护区的指定将提高该地区的旅游和娱乐潜力，这得益于人们意识的提高, new programs and enhanced public access points throughout the sanctuary, and new links with local businesses. Unlike maritime heritage sites with fully submerged shipwrecks, the historic and ecological resources at Mallows Bay are visible from shore, 随时可以乘坐皮划艇到达，并在现场提供解释性的水上小径指南. The site also has great promise for research, conservation, citizen science, 和教育机会，因为它独特的海洋特征和连接切萨皮克湾.

美国国家海洋保护区系统包括13个海洋保护区和一个五大湖保护区以及两个海洋国家纪念碑. These unique waters sustain critical, breathtaking marine habitats that provide homes to endangered and threatened species. They preserve America’s rich maritime heritage and are living laboratories for science, research, education and conservation. 保护区还为所有年龄段的人提供世界级的户外娱乐体验，并为当地社区带来数十亿美元的经济收入. 全国各地的社区都期待着保护区来保护我们海洋的国家重要区域, coasts, and Great Lakes.

2014年，马里兰州与查尔斯县和当地多元化联盟合作，提交了马洛斯湾-波托马克河的提名, state and national community members.

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The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation成立于2000年，是国家海洋保护区系统的官方非营利性合作伙伴. 基金会通过我们保护物种的使命直接支持美国的国家海洋保护区, conserve ecosystems and preserve America’s maritime heritage. We accomplish our mission through community stewardship and engagement programs, on-the-water conservation projects, public education and outreach programs, and scientific research and exploration. The Foundation fosters innovative projects that are solution-oriented, scalable and transferable, 发展战略伙伴关系，促进物种及其栖息地的保护和恢复. Learn more at marinesanctuary.org.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded nonprofit organization, works to save America’s historic places.  SavingPlaces.org | @savingplaces

Chesapeake Conservancy’s 其使命是保护和恢复切萨皮克湾流域的自然和文化资源，以供人们享受, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. We empower the conservation community with access to the latest data and technology. 作为切萨皮克湾门户网络和约翰·史密斯船长切萨皮克国家历史步道国家公园管理局的主要合作伙伴, 我们帮助建立了153个新的公共访问站点，并永久保护了海湾的一些特殊地方，比如Werowocomoco, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park, and Fort Monroe National Monument. tjvxk.cornerstoneit.net