The USS Monitor sank on December 31, 1862, and became the nation’s first national marine sanctuary in 1973. Although Monitor’s wreck site is located in 230 feet of water 16 miles off the North Carolina coast, its story is truly a national one. From the upper reaches of New York, down the East Coast, and across the country to Arches National Park in Utah, the USS Monitor is honored and memorialized. In addition to the many partner exhibits located in Virginia and North Carolina, you can also discover an array of immersive experiences both in person and online to learn about the USS Monitor and our nation’s maritime heritage off coastal North Carolina. Learn more: https://monitor.noaa.gov/ (Video description: Dive footage of Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: John McCord/UNC Coastal Studies Institute) #USSMonitor #Shipwrecks #CivilWar #History #MaritimeHeritage #Virginia #NorthCarolina #OuterBanks #EarthIsBlue #Ocean #Sea #MarineLife #MarineBiology #Conservation #NOAA #Monitor #Wreck #BattleOfTheAtlantic #WWI #WreckDiving #Scuba #Diving #Sharks #NC #CapeHatteras #VA #Museum #Underwater #SaveSpectacular #NationalPublicLandsDay