At the White House Conservation in Action Summit, President Biden announced his support for the process of establishing a U.S. National Marine Sanctuary in the waters around the Pacific Remote Islands (PRI), a remote set of islands situated near Hawaii. Biden is now pointing to the Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, to consider initiating the new designation within the next 30 days, which would secure the islands under the highest form of protection.

The Pacific Remote Islands contain some of the last truly wild and healthy marine ecosystems in the world. Protecting areas like these that are able to withstand the effects of climate change, thanks to their location and natural features, may be our best chance to maintain intact ecosystems and the species that live there.

Today’s announcement is an important milestone on the journey to establishing a marine sanctuary in the Pacific Remote Islands that can protect and preserve this ecologically diverse environment of cultural and historic significance. We applaud this commitment while urging swift action to better protect this one-of-a-kind place.

If you haven’t already, we hope you’ll sign the petition to protect the #PacificRemoteIslands for future generations. Let’s keep the momentum going!