The Nature Conservancy Applauds President Bush for Creating World’s Largest Marine Conservation Area in Hawaii

Designation of Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument will protect millions of sea birds, dolphins, seals and other marine life

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA—June 16, 2006—The Nature Conservancy today applauded President Bush for designating the Northwest Hawaiian Islands as a national monument, a move that creates the largest marine protected area in the world and will provide important habitat for thousands of marine species that rely upon it for survival.

“We commend the administration for its foresight and leadership in protecting this incredible area,” said Steve McCormick, President and CEO of The Nature Conservancy. “Designating the Northwest Hawaiian Islands as a national monument will ensure that this natural treasure will remain healthy and intact for generations to come.”

The Northwest Hawaiian Islands ecosystem includes 13,000 square kilometers of coral reefs comprising 70 percent of all coral reefs in the United States.

The area is home to a variety of federally protected species, including the threatened green sea turtle, several species of seabirds, and the endangered Hawaiian monk seal. Its reefs are some of the healthiest and most undisturbed in the world.

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The Nature Conservancy works in many areas to protect marine resources: protecting submerged lands, establishing market-based conservation strategies, working with partners to restore habitat.
The Nature Conservancy has other projects in Hawaii: setting up a new monitoring station on Palmyra Atoll, working with partners to eradicate invasive species, and protecting freshwater resources.
As the largest living structures on the planet, coral reefs are also among the greatest storehouses of biodiversity on Earth; they are also one of the most threatened marine systems on Earth. Learn more about our work to protect coral reefs.