Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

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The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (pronounced [ˈpɐpəˈhaːnɐwˈmokuwaːˈkɛjə]; PMNM) is a U.S. national monument listed as a World Heritage Site, encompassing 582,578 square miles (1.5 million km2) of ocean waters, including ten islands and atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It was first created by President George W. Bush in 2006 with an initial 140,000 square miles (360,000 km2). President Barack Obama expanded the Monument in 2016, increasing its area more than fourfold by moving its border to the limit of the exclusive economic zone, making it one of the world's largest protected areas. The Monument is home to more than 7,000 marine species, one quarter of which are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, with some found only within the monument itself. Only 5.8 square miles (15 km2) of land remains above sea level, but it provides critical habitat for many terrestrial species. It also features ancient archaeological sites important to Native Hawaiians. The deeper waters...

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