The Greater Farallones Association (GFA) conserves the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, a region encompassing over 3,000 square miles of productive and biodiverse coastal waters and open ocean off the California coast, through scientific research, environmental education, and community-based conservation. Our community science and education programs reach over 14,000 San Francisco Bay Area adults and youth per year, engaging them in meaningful and memorable hands-on scientific activities that protect and monitor the Sanctuary’s waters and coastline, and empowering them to take a hands-on role in marine science and conservation.
Just offshore of Northern California lies an underwater national park called the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. The Sanctuary encompasses 3,295 square miles of federally-protected open ocean and coastal waters off the North-central California coast, and is one of the most productive and biodiverse marine ecosystems on the planet.
The upwelling of a unique and powerful current within the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary is responsible for creating one of the most spectacular & biodiverse marine ecosystems on the planet. It is home to one of the largest feeding grounds for white sharks, 29 species of whales and dolphins, over 390 species of fish, and over 330 species of invertebrates – deep sea corals, sponges, shrimp, crab and other mollusks and crustaceans and much more.
The Greater Farallones Association is unique in that every program incorporates local communities in achieving its goals. We engage nearly 14,000 adults and youth per year from the San Francisco Bay Area, and empower citizens to take a hands-on role in monitoring and conserving Sanctuary waters and coastlines. We are committed to high-impact programs rooted in science that provide educational opportunities for our community and protect the environment around us.
