NOAA has designated portions of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a 582,570-square-mile area in the Pacific Ocean, as a marine sanctuary.
The designation, announced Wednesday, will create the largest unit in the National Marine Sanctuary System and one of the largest conservation areas in the world, according to the agency.
It encompasses the marine areas surrounding northwestern Hawaiian islands and atolls seaward to 200 nautical miles, including all state waters and waters of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve. It also includes Midway Atoll, Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuges and the state-owned Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine Refuge.
NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said the designation “will bring a stronger framework for marine conservation and protection to the waters of Papahānaumokuākea.”