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Saturday, 27 August 2016

World's largest marine reserve created off Hawaii

This photo provided by Bishop Museum and NOAA shows a wrasse, left, one of deep-water fishes never before seen by divers, found during a 25-day research expedition from May 22 to June 15, 2016,
New species of fish never before seen by divers were discovered in the monument in June
US President Barack Obama has expanded a national monument off Hawaii, creating the world's largest marine reserve, the White House says.

His announcement on Friday quadruples in size a monument originally created by President George W Bush in 2006. The Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument will now span 1.5m sq km (582,578 sq miles), more than twice the size of Texas.
A massive sponge photographed at a depth of about 7,000ft in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument off the shores of the North-western Hawaiian Islands, which scientists say is the world's largest ever documented
The largest sponge ever documented was reportedly found at a depth of 2.1 km (7,000ft) in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument
The designation bans commercial fishing and any new mining. The White House says the expansion is helping to protect more than 7,000 species and improves an ecosystem affected by ocean acidification and warming.

One of the deep-water fishes never before seen by divers, found during a 25-day research expedition from May 22 to June 15, 2016, in the waters in the north-western Hawaiian Islands
A small deep-water fish, never seen before, in waters off the north-western Hawaiian Islands
A fact sheet previewing the announcement also states that the expanded area is considered a sacred place for Native Hawaiians. The expansion was welcomed by environmental campaigners.


"By expanding the monument, President Obama has increased protections for one of the most biologically and culturally significant places on the planet," said Joshua Reichert, an executive vice president at the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Greenpeace also hailed what it called a "bold decision" that will ban commercial fishing and mineral extraction in the region.

"We are disappointed that the president has made a decision to close an area nearly the size of the entire state of Alaska without public process," Sean Martin, the president of the Hawaii Longline Association told the Associated Press news agency.

"This action will forever prohibit American fishermen from accessing those American waters. Quite a legacy indeed," he added.
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