We are committed to the privacy of our visitors. We collect no personal information about you when you visit our Website unless you choose to provide that information to us.
Here is how we handle information about your visit to our Website:
Information Collected and Stored Automatically: If you do nothing during your visit but browse through the Website, read pages or download information, we will gather and store certain information about your visit automatically. This information does not identify you personally. We automatically collect and store information like the following concerning your visit.
- The Internet domain (for example, "xcompany.com" if you use a private Internet access account, or "yourschool.edu" if you connect from a university's domain);
- Your IP address (an IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to your computer whenever you are surfing the Web) from which you access our Website.
- The type of browser and operating system used to access our site;
- The date and time you access our site;
- The pages you visit; and
- If you linked to our Website from another Website, the address of that Website. We use this information to help us make our site more useful to our visitors by allowing us to learn more about the number of visitors to our site and the types of technology our visitors use.
Information Protection
For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, this government computer system employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. If such monitoring reveals evidence of possible abuse or criminal activity, such evidence may be provided to appropriate law enforcement officials. Unauthorized attempts to upload or change information on this server are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act or other law.
Information That You Voluntarily Provide
We do not collect personally-identifiable information unless you choose to provide it to us. If you provide us with personally identifiable information, for example by sending an e-mail or by filling out a form and submitting it through our Website, we use that information only to respond to your message and to help us provide you with the information and services that you request. Submitting voluntary information constitutes your consent to the use of the information for the stated purpose. When a user clicks the "Submit" button on any of the Web forms found on our site they are indicating voluntary consent to use of the information they submit for the stated purpose. We do not collect or use information for commercial marketing.
How Information is Used
The information we collect is used for a variety of purposes (e.g., comments on proposed rules, license applications, to respond to requests for information about our regulations and policies and to fill orders). We make every effort to disclose clearly how information is used at the point where it is collected so that our users can determine for themselves whether they wish to provide the information.
Sharing of Information
We may share the information you give us with another government agency if your inquiry relates to that agency. In other limited circumstances, such as responses to requests from Congress and private individuals, we may be required by law to disclose information you submit. Before you submit personally identifiable information, such as on an online form, you will be advised as to the purpose and how the information will be used. We may also share information collected during your visit with non-federal entities, but only if your inquiry requires accessing data from that external entity. All of our sites that require such external access will be clearly identified to help you make an informed choice.
Third-party Social Media Tools
We use third-party social networking/social media tools as a supplemental channel to promote awareness of Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) activities, events, news, and information. Those tools include:
Facebook is a social networking website where users can connect and interact with other people. We typically post something new on our wall every workday. Please note that you are subject to Facebook's privacy policy when visiting the FGBNMS Facebook page.
Twitter is a microblogging service to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of short, frequent posts. We typically tweet once each work day. Please note that you are subject to Twitter's privacy policy when visiting the FGBNMS Twitter page.
GovDelivery
This site uses the GovDelivery Communications Cloud service to deliver email bulletin messages to self-subscribed users. GovDelivery is a web-based email subscription management system that allows a member of the public (user) to subscribe to news and information on ONMS websites. A user's subscription profile consists of their email address and the topics they wish to receive email updates for. The user may customize and manage their subscription profile in order to receive exactly the types of information they desire, and they may cancel their subscriptions at any time. We only use the email addresses provided by subscribers to send email messages related to the topics selected by the user in the GovDelivery system. We do not use the GovDelivery service to send email messages unrelated to the topics selected by the subscriber or to seek personally identifiable information (PII) about subscribers. Neither FGBNMS nor GovDelivery will share a user's subscription profile, including email address.
Google™ Earth/Google™ Maps
Google Maps and Google Earth map information and photographic imagery are used under license by Google. National Ocean Service data presented using Google Maps/Google Earth are in the public domain and made available in open standard KML/KMZ format. The map information and photographic imagery contain trade names, trademarks, service marks, logos, domain names, and other distinctive brand features. This does not imply an endorsement of Google, Google Maps, or Google Earth products or services by the National Ocean Service. Under the terms of the license, you are permitted to copy or use the Google Maps/Google Earth images on your site so long as Google Maps/Google Earth trade names, trademarks, service marks, logos, domain names, and other distinctive brand features are not deleted or in any manner altered. Please note that you are subject to Google's privacy policy when using this service.
Google Analytics
This site uses Google Analytics, a third-party web measurement and customization technology as defined and organized by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), "Guidance for Online Use of Web Measurement and Customization Technologies" (OMB M-10-22). Google Analytics places a small file on your computer, commonly called a "cookie," so that it can recognize your computer if you visit https://flowergarden.noaa.gov in the future. This is considered a Tier 2 service in the OMB guidance. Google Analytics does not collect personally identifiable information through their cookie and does not combine, match, or cross-reference https://flowergarden.noaa.gov information with any other information. Please review the provider's privacy policy for additional information, http://www.google.com/analytics/learn/privacy.html. Visitors who choose to disable this web measurement will still have full access to https://flowergarden.noaa.gov. While the details vary from browser to browser, most modern browsers can be set up to accept, reject, or request user intervention when a site asks to set a cookie. Google Analytics uses a cookie that begins with: _utm
Retention of Information
We destroy the information we collect when the purpose for which it was provided has been fulfilled unless we are required to keep it longer by statute or official policy. Electronically submitted information is maintained and destroyed according to the principles of the Federal Records Act and the regulations and records schedules approved by the National Archives and Records Administration, and in some cases information submitted to us may become an agency record and therefore might be subject to a Freedom of Information Act request.
Links to Other Sites
This site may have links to the Websites of other federal agencies. There may be links to private organizations, with their permission. Once you go to another site, you are subject to the privacy policy of the new site. It is always a good idea to read the Privacy Policy of any Website that you visit.
Cookies
"Cookies" are small bits of text that are either used for the duration of a session ("session cookies"), or saved on a user's hard drive in order to identify that user, or information about that user, the next time the user logs on to a Website ("persistent cookies"). This Website does not use persistent cookies or any other persistent tracking technology. One or more of our component sites may use session cookies to provide streamlined navigation. These session cookies are deleted from the component's server after your session ends and information from them is not collected or saved.
Interaction with Children
This Website may offer educational content to children under 13. No personally identifiable information is collected from them unless voluntarily submitted as a request for information or services. The information collected is used to respond to user inquiries or to provide services requested by our users.
Rights under the Privacy Act
The Privacy Act of 1974 provides safeguards against invasion of personal privacy through the misuse of records by Federal Agencies.
The Privacy Act was passed in 1974 to establish controls over what personal information is collected, maintained, used and disseminated by agencies in the executive branch of the Federal government.
The Privacy Act guarantees three primary rights:
- The right to see records about oneself, subject to Privacy Act exemptions;
- The right to request the amendment of records that are not accurate, relevant, timely or complete; and
- The right of individuals to be protected against unwarranted invasion of their privacy resulting from the collection, maintenance, use, and disclosure of personal information.
If you are a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence, you may make a request for personal information on yourself under the Privacy Act. Go to the Request page for more information.
Requests made under the Privacy Act will be processed under both the Privacy Act and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to ensure the greatest access to your personal records.