September 15, 2021, marks the five-year anniversary of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. In this video, Kimberly Galvez, NOAA Ocean Exploration scientist and expedition coordinator for the 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones: New England and Corner Rise Seamounts expedition, is joined by colleagues at Mystic Aquarium and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to share the excitement and wonder of this very special place off the coast of New England.

In addition to exploring areas of the monument during the 2021 expedition, data and information collected during mapping and remotely operated vehicle expeditions led by NOAA Ocean Exploration in 2013 and 2014 were instrumental in establishment of the monument, and a NOAA Ocean Exploration expedition in 2019 provided additional insights to help in the management of the monument.