The Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument is a group of unorganized, mostly unincorporated United States Pacific Island territories in the Central Pacific, managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the United States Department of the Interior. Proclaimed a national monument on January 6, 2009 by U.S. President George W. Bush, the monument covers 86,888 square miles (55,428,480 acres), spanning areas to the far south and west of Hawaii, including Kingman Reef, Palmyra Atoll, Howland Island, Baker Island, Jarvis Islands, Johnston Atoll, and Wake Island.
Within the national monument, resource destruction or extraction, waste dumping, and commercial fishing will be prohibited, but research, free passage, and recreation will be allowed. Additionally, NOAA manages three marine sanctuaries in the Pacific Islands Region including the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, and the Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The sanctuaries provide protection for a multitude of marine species including sea turtles, dolphins, whales, pearl oysters, giant clams, coconut crabs, large groupers, sharks, humphead wrasses, and bumphead parrotfishes. Expansive shallow coral reefs and deep coral forests – with some corals up to 5,000 years old – are found here. These small dots of land in the midst of the ocean are vital nesting habitat for millions of seabirds and resting habitat for migratory shorebirds. Protecting and studying these special ocean areas provides an opportunity to secure the future of our marine resources and to better understand the functioning of our oceans. Ecological knowledge is key to reef management and restoration, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the status of reefs are essential components of these efforts. The system of marine sanctuaries and national marine monuments hopes to help manage and preserve these valuable coral reed ecosystems for generations to come. Read National Geographic’s article announcing marine reserve.
The Southern Line Islands are home to among the most intact and pristine coral reefs on the planet. The islands are all uninhabited and are protected as wildlife sanctuaries by the Republic of Kiribati. There is discussion to extend broader protections to the marine resources of these islands, much like the great efforts of protection in the Kiribati Phoenix Islands Protected Area. However, large-scale marine conservation is challenging and demands investment from beyond just the people of Kiribati. As a global community we need to find ways to facilitate the conservation ethos of our friends in Kiribati.