New Marine Sanctuary Created (Repost)

[Matt L.]

This story was headlined on the front page of MSNBC.com earlier today.

New Marine Sanctuary Created in the Pacific!

Highlights of the article are as follows:

Announcing the largest marine conservation effort in history, [the United States] designated three remote Pacific island areas as national monuments....

The three areas — totaling some 195,280 square miles — include the Mariana Trench, the deepest spot on earth at 36,000 feet below the sea....

Each location harbors unique species and some of the rarest geological formations on Earth — from the world's largest land crab to a bird that incubates its eggs in the heat of underwater volcanoes....

All will be protected as national monuments — the same status afforded to statues and cultural sites — under the 1906 Antiquities Act. The law allows the government to immediately phase out commercial fishing and other extractive uses....

However, recreational fishing, tourism and scientific research could still occur inside the three areas.

There are many other amazing photos of marine life and coral, but they are embedded in a flash slideshow and cannot be linked here

Does this mean we can't go there for frags now?

Matt

note: By placement in the reef discussion forum, this thread is intended to be apolitical. Please direct any objections to me. As a reminder, responses of a political nature are not accepted in this thread (must go to Soap box).

 

[afboundguy]

I think it's a great idea... We as humans need to do a better job protecting our reefs otherwise they'll be gone and we'll be the only ones left with reefs...

 

[Matt L.]

Will someone please think of the frags!

Seriously, the photos are very interesting and the article identifies some corals.

Matt

 

[afboundguy]

Will someone please think of the frags!

Hey I'd love to help out by taking some frags from the Bahamas this weekend but nooooooooooo it's illegal... I mean come on... all I want to do is conserve nature here no personal gain at all

 

[Behrmon]

Just for reference:

Grand Canyon National park = 1,904 square miles.

"The three areas — totaling some 195,280 square miles"

a good start.