Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

Lore & Background

The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are known for cultural and natural values according to Native Hawaiians, who believe the area represents kinship between nature and humanity and that life begins and returns there after death. Archaeological remains have been found on Nīhoa and Mokumanamana. The area was first protected by the federal government on February 3, 1909, when President Theodore Roosevelt created the Hawaiian Islands Bird Reservation in response to over-harvesting of seabirds. President Franklin D. Roosevelt converted it into the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge in 1940. President Bill Clinton established the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve in 2000. President George W. Bush, after viewing the documentary film Voyage to Kure, signed Proclamation 8031 in 2006, designating the waters as a National Monument under the Antiquities Act. President Bush amended Proclamation 8031 with Proclamation 8112, naming the Monument "Papahānaumokuākea" on February 28, 2007. The Monument was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2010.

Reader's Guide

The Monument's significance lies in its vast protected area, larger than all of America's national parks combined and almost the same surface area as the Gulf of Mexico. It 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. The 5.8 square miles of land above sea level provide critical habitat for terrestrial species. The deeper waters contain shipwrecks, submerged aircraft, and remains from World War II battles. The monument is subject to a ban on commercial fishing. It is jointly managed by four co-trustees: the Department of Commerce, the Department of the Interior, the State of Hawai‘i, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The monument includes the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and Battle of Midway National Memorial. President Joe Biden designated the marine areas as the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary in 2025. The monument's protection is revocable only by legislation, providing resilient conservation.

Did You Know?

• The monument was created by President George W. Bush in 2006 after he viewed the documentary film Voyage to Kure.
• The name Papahānaumokuākea alludes to a Hawaiian goddess and Earth Mother.
• This extended boundary past Kure Atoll spans the International Date Line, making the protected waters continuous across the antimeridian.
• Only 5.8 square miles of land remains above sea level within the monument.