Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Celebrates its 6th Birthday

Many endemic species are abundant in Papahānaumokuākea. Credit: James Watt

Six years ago on June 15, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Marine Monument was established by Presidential Proclamation 8031 under the authority of the Antiquities Act (16 U.S.C. 431-433). A year later, the Monument was re-named with its Hawaiian name Papahānaumokuākea and the following year it was designated as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area by the Marine Environmental Protection Committee of the International Maritime Organization. In 2010, Papahānaumokuākea was inscribed as a mixed (natural and cultural) World Heritage Site by the delegates to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) 34th World Heritage Convention in Brasilia Brazil. Also in 2010, Papahānaumokuākea co-founded Big Oceans, a global network of large-scale marine protected areas. On June 15, 2012, PMNM staff celebrated with a gathering and brief address by Superintendent ʻAulani Wilhelm. As the largest conservation area in the United States and one of the largest in the world, the Monument was expressly created to protect an exceptional array of natural and cultural resources, and continues to break new ground with new research and partnerships.