In April 2017, President Trump issued an Executive Order that calls for a review of all national monuments created or expanded in the past two decades. This includes five important marine monuments.

Turtle Island strongly opposes the Executive Order.

For the next several Mondays, we will highlight one of these five monuments to help people understand the value and importance of these national treasures.

This week we will focus on Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

Located in the Pacific Ocean in the Hawaiian Archipelago, Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument is the nation’s largest contiguous fully protected conservation area, and one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world.

At 582,578 square miles, it is larger than all the country’s national parks combined.

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Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument is home to over 7,000 marine species, one quarter of which are found only in the Hawaiian Archipelago. Species protected include the threatened green turtle, the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, and the world’s most endangered duck, the Laysan duck.

Green-turtle-waving

In addition to its wealth of natural resources, Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument is important to Native Hawaiians, Significant cultural and sacred sites are found on the islands of Nihoa and Mokumanamana.

To help defend this marine monument, please add your name to our online petition.

 

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