U.S. #5713k
2022 60¢ National Marine Sanctuaries – Young Rockfish Exploring Reef
Value: 60¢ 1-Ounce First-class Rate (Forever)
Issue Date: August 5, 2022
First Day City: Santa Cruz, CA
Type of Stamp: Commemorative
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Pane of 16
Self-Adhesive
Quantity Printed: 38,000,000
Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary is located off the coast of Northern California and protects 1,286 square miles of seafloor, rocky banks, and deep-sea canyons. The sanctuary's namesake is also its main attraction. Cordell Bank is a four-and-a-half mile wide by nine-and-a-half mile long rocky undersea bank approximately 22 miles west of Point Reyes. It is on the edge of the North American continental shelf and is home to many fish, invertebrates, and marine mammals.
In addition to the regular four seasons of the year, Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary also experiences three oceanographic seasons: upwelling, relaxation, and storm season. The upwelling season is especially noteworthy as it brings nutrient-rich waters from deeper parts of the ocean and increases phytoplankton growth. This change ripples up through the food web to larger organisms as well. For example, rockfish are the most abundant of the fish at Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, and as their numbers increase, their predators (salmon and seabrids) also benefit and experience population growth.
Ocean ecosystems are complicated habitats, and any changes can have drastic impacts. That's why it is so important to have protected areas like Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary.