We were thrilled to hear the news last week that President Obama is set to vastly expand a marine sanctuary northwest of the main Hawaiian Islands creating the world’s largest protected marine area, which is larger than all national parks combined and twice the size of Texas!

The Papahanaumokuakea monument surrounds the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and is home to an estimated 7,000 marine and terrestrial species, a quarter of which are found nowhere else on earth.

“This act — to build resilience in our oceans, and sustain the diversity and productivity of sea life — could usher in a new century of conservation for our most special, and fragile, ocean areas,” said Sarah Chasis, director of the oceans program at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

We take a look at some of the species that will be positively affected by this decision below including the Queen Conch which we are working to protect and have recently filed a petition to have the species protected under the Endangered Species Act!