What's in the largest marine reserve in the world

The newly expanded Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument is the largest network of protected ocean areas of the world, made up of seven islands, atolls and reefs scattered between Hawaii and American Samoa.

Established in 2009, now President Barack Obama issued a decree expanding to 1.2 million km2, roughly three times the size of California, little more than the size of Colombia.

In that area is not permitted commercial fishing, seabed mining and the extraction of other underwater resources.
The waters around these islands are home to corals, sea birds, fish, mammals and vegetation that exists nowhere else in the world. Many of these species are endangered, such as the green turtle, giant clams or fish Napoleon.

Palmyra Atoll and Kingman Reef have the highest diversity of corals (180-190 species) than any coral island in the central Pacific.

Wake Island, west of Hawaii, is perhaps the oldest living coral island in the world and the waters surrounding the islands of Baker, Howland and Jarvis teem with fish.

The book is also an excellent location for hecer climate change research in Ecuador, far from population centers. The skeletons of corals has been recorded climate history Tierrra for millennia.

Protected population

Birds: The islands are home to many species, including boobies, Fregata and nearly one million pairs of Terns apizarrado or nun Seagull included. Many migratory birds also come to its shores, as the Asian Golden Plover. In Kingman Reef also live brown boobies and black-footed albatross.
Corals: It is one of the areas most diverse coral species such as staghorn coral, acropora coral or brain. The Kingsman reef has some of the oldest colonies depth ever observed, with golden corals up to 5,000 years.
Fish: Among the larger species are sharks, groupers, parrot fish and Stripes. There are also butterflies, Mullets, Damsel Fish, Tuna Fish and Wrasses. In large populations Wake Island Fish Napoleon.
Invertebrates: In Baker Island living large populations of hermit crabs. In Howland Island there are giant clams, Tridacna derasa including rare and lives in Palmyra largest land invertebrate, the coconut crab.
Other marine animals: The reserve also protects the green turtle and the hawksbill turtle, Wet Seal Hawaii, humpback whale, the melon-headed dolphin, the bottlenose dolphin and the Spinner Dolphin.

The store 'Pristina’

President George W. Bush established the reservation in 2009, but so far only covered an area of ​​50 nautical miles (92km) from the coast of the islands.

Obama's decision to expand the protected area 200 nautical milles from the atolls was welcomed by environmental groups, who celebrated the news and said they expect other countries to take similar steps.

“The president acted expeditiously, while the area is still pristine and untouched”Said Frances Beinecke, President of the Council of Defense of Natural Resources.

But some critics say the extra length falls short: the affected islands are divided into five regions and the reservation includes three.

SOURCE: Bbc.co.uk