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Papahanaumokuakea
Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument
The Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Moonument protected area has been expanded today to quadruple in size to 582,578 square miles making it the largest protected marine area in the world. The protected marine area is located in the waters of the Northwest Hawaiian islands, where many endangered sea creatures and corlas live. The expanded area will allow not only protect thousands of species but give scientists a place to closely monitor the affects of climate change on these fraile ecosystems. These waters and atolls in the North Pacific are also of great historical and cultural significance to the Native Hawaiian people. No commercial activites including fishing will be permitted in the protected marine monument, though fishing as a Native Hawaiian cultural practive will be allowed. This historical expansion will be beneficial to the state of Hawaii, the Pacific Ocean and the whole environment by putting some of the most unique and fragile ecosystems under conservation. With the threat of climate change protectig our naturalland and water resources is more important than ever.