08/26/2016 10:27 AM EDT
Today, President Obama expanded the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument to a total protected area of 582,578 square miles – making it the largest marine protected area on Earth. Part of the most remote island archipelago on Earth, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument supports a reef ecosystem with more than 7,000 marine species and is home to many species of coral, fish, birds and marine mammals. This includes the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, the endangered leatherback and hawksbill sea turtles. Top and bottom photos courtesy of James Watt, middle photo by Lindsey Kramer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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