NOAA Monitor National Marine Sanctuary

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NOAA Monitor National Marine Sanctuary

America’s First National Marine Sanctuary

Designated Jan. 30, 1975

09/01/2026

Ever have one of those days where you feel like you’re just going back and forth?

On August 28, 1862, USS MONITOR's crew could relate.

After heading up the James River, the fleet was ordered back downstream only for MONITOR to be sent upstream again shortly after. Paymaster William F. Keeler joked that the old song about the man who “marched up the hill & then marched down again” had been “fully exemplified in our case.”

Even aboard the Navy’s newest ironclad, some days were apparently just… a lot of back and forth.

Drawing: Acting Paymaster William Keeler
USS MONITOR model: Northrop Grumman

08/26/2026

This artifact was found on MONITOR, what do you think it was used for? Comment below, no cheating!

08/25/2026

Discover how cutting edge technology is revealing new stories from beneath the waves.

In 1862, the USS Monitor sank off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, cementing its place as one of America's most iconic Civil War shipwrecks and becoming the nation’s first national marine sanctuary.

In part two of our series, step into the future of underwater exploration. Discover how cutting-edge 3D mapping technology is capturing the wreck in unprecedented detail, allowing the public to take virtual trips to the bottom of the ocean, explore the sanctuary, and inspire the next generation of ocean stewards.

Listen now and dive back into the story of the ship that changed naval history: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/podcast/aug26/nop85-uss-monitor-3d-mapping.html

08/20/2026

The USS MONITOR carried between 58 and 63 men during its service, men from many different backgrounds, including sailors, laborers, immigrants, and young men seeking opportunity during a time of war.

One was John Rooney

John Rooney, a 29-year-old captain's clerk born in Ireland, enlisted in Brooklyn, New York, on June 6, 1861, for a 3-year term. He served on the Savannah until it was disabled, probably served next on the OTTAWA, and was transferred to MONITOR by March 6, 1862, where he served as master-at-arms until at least December 31, 1862. During his time on the ironclad, fellow crewman Butts recalled him as the "funny man of the birth-deck." Rooney survived MONITOR's sinking and was sent to the Brooklyn navy hospital, later probably serving on the NORTH CAROLINA before being discharged on May 29, 1863.

Drawing: Courtesy U.S. Naval Historical

08/18/2026

Time for a stern talk about anti-USS MONITOR language we have been hearing lately...

Some everyday phrases can be a little ~*insensitive*~ when there’s an ironclad in the room. From “I’m feeling rusty” to “let’s circle back,” on behalf of the USS MONITOR, we respectfully asks that you reconsider your choice of words.

Swipe through for some MONITOR-approved alternatives! What anti-MONITOR phrase did we miss?

08/13/2026

Happy Left-Handers Day!

Think "lefty loosey, righty tighty" is obvious? Not aboard USS MONITOR.

During the Civil War, standardized directions for turning bolts and fittings weren't yet common. Before one of MONITOR's first test firings, sailors accidentally loosened the Dahlgren gun carriage brake assemblies instead of tightening them.

When the guns fired, they slammed backward into the turret wall, leaving dents that can still be seen on the recovered turret today.

More than 140 years later, archaeologists found those dents on the shipwreck, providing physical evidence that the story really happened.

Drawing: Courtesy U.S. Naval Historical Center

08/07/2026

Guarding the "Graveyard of the Atlantic"

Did you know the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the closest point of land to Monitor National Marine Sanctuary?

Standing guard over one of the most hazardous stretches of the Atlantic Coast, this iconic landmark has a dramatic history:

Why is the area so dangerous?
Offshore, the warm Gulf Stream collides head-on with the icy Virginia Drift (a branch of the Labrador Current). This collision forces southbound ships straight into Diamond Shoals—a treacherous, 12-mile-long sandbar responsible for hundreds of historic shipwrecks.

Evolution of a Beacon:

1794–1803: Authorized by Congress, the original 90-foot sandstone tower was lit in 1803. Powered by whale oil, it was unfortunately too short, unpainted, and dim to warn mariners effectively.

1853: Raised to 150 feet, painted red-and-white, and retrofitted with a powerful First-Order Fresnel lens.

1870: Construction on the current lighthouse was completed using an ingenious "floating foundation" made of yellow pine timbers laid beneath the high water table by foreman Dexter Stetson.

1873: Painted with its famous black-and-white spiral stripes—a unique "daymark" so mariners could recognize it instantly during daylight!

Today, it remains a symbol of maritime resilience protecting one of the ocean's most famous ship graveyards.

Photo: National Park Service

08/06/2026

140 years after sinking to the bottom of the Atlantic, the iconic turret of the Civil War ironclad USS MONITOR began its next big voyage: a journey of preservation.

On August 5, 2002, the turret was brought to the surface after sitting 240 feet below sea level off Cape Hatteras, NC, and then transported to The Mariners' Museum in Newport News, VA. This piece of naval history has undergone years of meticulous conservation to undo the damage of over a century in saltwater.

While iron sounds indestructible, decades in the ocean leave metal surprisingly fragile. Conservators are constantly innovating—even preparing to use cutting-edge dry ice blasting methods to clean and preserve the structure safely—to ensure this legendary artifact stands strong for generations to come.

Patience is key when saving history!

See the progress: Visit the USS MONITOR Center at The Mariners' Museum & Park to get an up-close look at the ongoing conservation efforts.

Photo: NOAA Monitor Collection

08/04/2026

Think it’s hot this summer? Imagine spending it aboard an ironclad vessel.

Life aboard the USS MONITOR could be especially uncomfortable during the summer of 1862. Below deck, the crew endured cramped quarters and sweltering conditions.

Acting Paymaster William F. Keeler described the heat in a letter home:

“If this sweltering weather continues it will curtail letter writing as you will find, for our State rooms are nearly as bad as the black hole of Calcutta & I find a letter is written at the cost of a large amount of precipitation.”

For MONITOR's crew, even writing a letter home could be sweaty work!

Imagine: Acting Paymaster, William F. Keeler, Monitor Collection/NOAA

07/31/2026

Happy Birthday to John Ericsson (July 31, 1803)!

Did you know? Before building the famous USS MONITOR, Ericsson actually stored his ironclad plans in a drawer for nearly a decade after France turned down his initial design!

It wasn't until the outbreak of the American Civil War, and a fast-tracked meeting backed by President Abraham Lincoln, that Ericsson was given the green light. He famously promised his ship could be built in just 100 days, bringing a bold new era to naval warfare.

Today we celebrate his determination, genius, and lasting impact on maritime technology.

Photo: Monitor Collection/ NOAA

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http://monitor.noaa.gov/

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