Whack-a-coal! Sometimes when freeing up a mound of coal from 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳’s turret the team would discover a beautiful piece of engraved flatware or a fragile hard rubber button buried underneath. But more often than not there was simply more coal.

It’s Fish Friday! Thanks to 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳’s presence on the seafloor, fish like the manta ray can be seen exploring the site. Shipwrecks in this area act like oases on the sandy bottom. Check out this manta captured by the 𝘑𝘰𝘩𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘦𝘢-𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘬 submersible in 2002.

It’s Monitor Monday! When 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳’s hull finally came to rest on the seafloor the aft-most hatch of the port coal bunker ended up over the starboard gun. It’s impossible to know when, but at some point this hatch gave way and filled the turret with coal.

Hope you’ve been good! It’s thought that the weight of the coal contributed to the collapse of the turret's wood deck, but it is still unclear when this occurred. The coal piles reached all the way to the base of the turret at some points (remember the turret was upside down!).

Merry Monitor Monday! Home for the holidays and need an activity for the young (or scientific) minds of the house? Try out our Oceanography in a mug activity! Hey, at the very least you get a tasty beverage out of it! Find them here: noaa.gov/education/phot…

🎉Amazing work from our friends over at NOAA Coastal Ocean Science !🎉

Sea-son's greetings! Need a last minute holiday card? We’ve got you covered! Spread the cheer and download this and many more NOAA-themed cards to let your loved ones feel the festivities. Find them here: noaa.gov/education/NOAA…

Today is the darkest day of the year, when we can get a sense of what it's like in the low-light environment of a mesophotic coral ecosystem: oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/mesophot…

❄Think we’ll get snow this year?❄ Why wait? You can make your own winter wonderland with these special fishy snowflake templates! Bet you didn’t think we had our own snowflake designs did you? Choose your favorite design here: fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/…

On this day … Christmas Eve 1862, orders came in for 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳 to proceed from Hampton Roads to Beaufort, N.C. (and continue onwards to Charleston) as soon as the weather allowed. It wouldn’t be until a few days later that 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳 would be able to head south.

Merry Monitor Monday! On this Christmas Day in 1862, many of the “Monitor Boys” chose to spend their weather delay celebrating the holidays on shore with fellow sailors. We don't have any photographs of that night so please enjoy this artist's reinterpretation.

Monitor’s Final Journey On this day the weather was finally clear enough for the USS 𝘙𝘩𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘐𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 to tow 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳 out of Hampton Roads towards Beaufort. Both vessels passed Cape Henry at around 6:00 in the evening and entered the Atlantic Ocean. 📸: Mohammed Amer

It was morning on New Year’s Eve when the weather had turned so harsh that the captain ordered the crew to abandon 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳 and raised the signal of distress, a red lantern. 𝘙𝘩𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘐𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 dispatched lifeboats and rescued all but 16 men. 📸: Mohammed Amer

As 2023 draws to a close we reflect on stories about the USS 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳, its crew, and the amazing scientific effort that continues to this day. Watch this YouTube video to learn more about the History of the iconic vessel: youtube.com/watch?v=1hWpY-…

Medal of Honor Ordinary Seaman John Jones and Luke Griswold were awarded the Medal of Honor for their conduct while rescuing crewmen from the sinking of USS 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳. Both were members of the 𝘙𝘩𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘐𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 crew at the time. 📸: Mohammed Amer

Looking for a new cause in 2024? Join Sanctuary Advisory Council! The SAC allows the team of each sanctuary the opportunity to work with the local community. This is the best way to get involved with your favorite national marine sanctuary. Find more info on our website!

Our 2024 #GetIntoYourSanctuary Photo Contest is now open! Submit your entries at sanctuaries.noaa.gov/photo-contest.… 📸

Today, on the 50th anniversary of the designation of the first national marine sanctuary, we are honoring the crew of the Monitor, the scientists and archeologists who found the wreck, and the staff and partners who continue to interpret the Monitor for the American people.

Join us tomorrow, March 8, from 10am-2pm at the The Mariners’ Museum and Park! Spend a historic day with us to commemorate the Battle of Hampton Roads and celebrate the 50th anniversary of Monitor’s designation as the nation’s first national marine sanctuary.

#NotesFromTheField: NOAA Monitor NMS partnered with the The Mariners’ Museum and Park and Instant Teams to co-host Month of the Military Child, an annual awareness campaign recognizing the sacrifices made by military kids and their families. Read the full field note: sanctuaries.noaa.gov/notes