The White House released a statement saying President Obama signed a proposal that will quadruple the size of the Papahanaumokuakea National Marine Monument off the coast of Hawaii. This monument will be twice as big as Texas and will protect more than 7,000 marine species. This will improve the resiliency of Hawaii’s underwater ecosystem and slow the effects of climate change on the region. The monument will surround the islands of Midway Atoll. According to the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument website, a quarter of the 7,000 species in Midway aren’t found anywhere else in the world. The area also has the highest density of sacred Hawaiian sites, and has a rich historical context.Yanki Chang, a senior studying social work from Hong Kong, said creating and safeguarding marine preserves is an urgent task. “It’s important because once you destroy the environment, it’s hard to repair. We need to protect it before it’s too late.”Commercial fishing and mining will not be allowed in the monument, which has sparked some controversy. Sean Martin, president of the Hawaii Longline association, said, “We are disappointed that the president has made the decision to close an area nearly the size of the entire state of Alaska without public process. This action will forever prohibit American fishermen from accessing those American waters.” Sunny Ostergard, an undeclared sophomore from Utah, said, “Marine life is very important. For example, the corals are dying as we speak. We need to sustain our marine ecosystem instead of overusing it. We should be considering how our actions will affect the ecosystem long term.”This preserved area will not just serve to protect Hawaii’s marine species. Obama said the area is also of “great cultural significance to the Native Hawaiian community and a connection to early Polynesian culture worthy of protection and understanding.”Ostergard also mentioned the cultural implications of this reserve. She said, “From a Hawaiian studies perspective, I know that taking care of the ocean and land is important because the ocean will in turn take care of us.”“I also think that we should be making more of an effort to preserve Native Hawaiian culture,” said Ostergard. “Western society has taken up too much of the Hawaiian islands. I like how this monument represents a desire to protect culture.”Shelby Kitchen, a sophomore from Utah studying psychology, said, “I think it’s important because this is the earth that God gave us, so we should take care of it. But we should also be taking care of it for our own benefit. If we don’t take care of the ocean, then we won’t be able to benefit from it as well.”Obama commented on the future of the marine preserve while visiting Midway Atoll. He said, “I look forward to knowing that 20 years from now, 40 years from now, 100 years from now, this is a place where people can still come to and see what a place like this looks like when it's not overcrowded and destroyed by human populations.”
Writer: Savanna Bachelder and AP
