Divers explore the wreck of schooner St. Peter, which lies in 117 feet of water in Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary. St. Peter was loaded with coal when it sank in a storm near Pultneyville in Wayne County, New York, in October 1898. (Image credit: NOAA)
On Friday, Sept. 6, NOAA and its state and local partners will celebrate the designation of Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary — America’s newest and 16th national marine sanctuary. Adjacent to New York’s Jefferson, Oswego, Cayuga and Wayne counties, the sanctuary’s waters in eastern Lake Ontario serve as a gateway between the Great Lakes and the ocean and protect culturally significant places, resources and artifacts integral to American history and the heritage of Indigenous Peoples.
WHO
- Rick Spinrad, Ph.D., NOAA Administrator
- John Armor, director, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
- Walter Mosely, New York Secretary of State
- Randy Simons, New York State Parks Commissioner Pro Tem
- Bill Crist, Chair, Lake Ontario Sanctuary Advisory Council
- Additional speakers invited
WHEN
- Friday, Sept. 6, 2024
- Dedication ceremony: 11 a.m. to Noon
- Community celebration: Noon to 3 p.m., will feature tables from partners (local, state, federal agencies, nonprofits, museums) and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.
WHERE
William S. Cahill Pier Park
39 Lake Street
Oswego, New York
RSVP
Media interested in attending the dedication ceremony and community celebration should email vernon.smith@noaa.gov no later than September 5.
PHOTO/VIDEO/INTERVIEWS
Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary photos and b-roll video can be downloaded from the sanctuary’s Media Resources page. During the dedication program, NOAA and the State of New York will sign a Memorandum of Agreement, which will be followed by a ribbon cutting for the sanctuary. NOAA representatives will be available for interviews after the dedication event.
For more information about the new sanctuary, visit NOAA’s Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary website.
ABOUT NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES
NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries serves as the trustee for a network of underwater parks encompassing more than 620,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters. The network includes a system of 16 national marine sanctuaries and Papahānaumokuākea and Rose Atoll marine national monuments. The system works with diverse partners and stakeholders to promote responsible, sustainable ocean uses that ensure the health of our most valued ocean places.
Climate, weather, and water affect all life on our ocean planet. NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict our changing environment, from the deep sea to outer space, and to manage and conserve America’s coastal and marine resources.
Media Contacts
Vernon Smith, vernon.smith@noaa.gov, (240) 638-6447
Kimberly Rodgers, kim.rodgers@noaa.gov, (771) 233-3988
