National Marine Sanctuary
Pacific Remote Islands
About this sanctuary
The area was nominated by the Pacific Remote Islands Coalition. On March 24, 2023, President Biden issued a Presidential Memorandum directing the Secretary of Commerce to consider initiating the designation process for a proposed national marine sanctuary in the Pacific Remote Islands area. On April 17, 2023, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries began the designation process by issuing a Notice of Intent to Conduct Scoping and to Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
The waters surrounding the Pacific Remote Islands are home to some of the most diverse and remarkable tropical marine life on the planet including numerous threatened and endangered species and species found nowhere else in the world. The intact ecosystems include vast pelagic seascapes, open-ocean underwater seamounts, and some of the last remaining coral reefs relatively untouched by human activities. Intact natural ecosystems are more resilient to the effects of climate change and can help in the fight against biodiversity loss.
Travel guide coming soon
The Foundation is actively expanding sanctuary content. This page will grow as the Foundation publishes travel guide entries, related stories, and event calendars for Pacific Remote Islands.
In the meantime, you can support this sanctuary directly, sign up for our newsletter to be notified when new content is published, or take action on current advocacy campaigns.