The President of the United States will visit Hawaii on Wednesday, August 31, to officially create the world’s largest marine nature reserve. He will give a speech on Midway Atoll, right at the heart of the marine sanctuary. In the context of climate change, which makes the protection of federal waters and lands more necessary than ever according to the White House, Obama is making a strong commitment to environmental protection before the end of his presidential mandate.
The Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, northwest of the Hawaiian archipelago, was declared a marine nature reserve in 2006 to protect an exceptional array of both natural and cultural resources. At the time, it was already 360,000 km²; now its size is going to be quadrupled, extending over nearly 1.5 million km² in the heart of the Pacific Ocean. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this marine sanctuary is home to nearly 7,000 marine species, including the very rare black coral. Nearly a quarter of these species are believed to be endemic, such as the green turtle, very present on these islands, the humuhumunukunukuapua’a, the official fish of the archipelago, and the Hawaiian monk seal, an endangered species and the only seal adapted to the tropical climate.
By becoming the world’s largest marine nature reserve, Papahanaumokuakea dethrones the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. Also located near the Hawaiian archipelago, this reserve covers an area of 1.3 million km².
Find a complete report on protected marine areas, including Hawaii’s, in issue #3 of Plongez! Margot Harty
cover photo: ©Big Island Visitors Bureau (BIVB) / Kawika Singson
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