Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument encompasses 139,797 square miles of the Pacific Ocean. This immense size makes it one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world, and larger than all the US national parks combined. Northwest of the main populated islands of Hawai‘i lies this string of tiny islands, atolls, shoals, and reefs spanning 1,200 miles. Hundreds of miles northwest of Kaua‘i, islands and atolls like Nihoa, Necker, French Frigate Shoals, Laysan, Pearl & Hermes, Midway, and Kure comprise the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). Thanks to their isolation, the wild coral reefs are among the healthiest and most extensive in the world.

The extensive coral reefs found in Papahānaumokuākea are home to over 7,000 marine species, twenty-five percent of which are found only in the Hawaiian Archipelago. Many of the islands and shallow water environments are important habitats for species once abundant in the main Hawaiian Islands, but rarely found today. Prominent species include the highly endangered Hawaiian monk seal, and uninhabited sandy islets provide the nesting grounds for 90 percent of Hawaii’s threatened green sea turtles. Though land areas are limited, over 14 million seabirds nest here and this is the only home for four endangered land birds – the Laysan Finch, Nihoa Finche, Nihoa Millerbird, and Laysan Duck.

The area was originally proclaimed the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument by U.S. President George W. Bush in 2006 and renamed Papahānaumokuākea in 2007. “Our duty is to use the land and seas wisely, or sometimes not use them at all. Good stewardship of the environment is not just a personal responsibility, it is a public value,” said the President in his proclamation speech. “To put this area in context, this national monument is more than 100 times larger than Yosemite National Park, larger than 46 of our 50 states, and more than seven times larger than all our national marine sanctuaries combined. This is a big deal.”

Globally the NWHI are a natural and cultural treasure of outstanding scientific, conservation, and aesthetic value. The steps taken in preserving these undisturbed environments are gifts we give to our children’s children, and help in sustaining the ocean’s bounty that supports us today.

Here is how to pronounce Papahānaumokuākea.

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