What does the expanded Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument look like?

August 2016

In February and March of 2016, NOAA and partners conducted an expedition to explore deep waters in and around Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Using the high-definition camera's on NOAA's Deep Discoverer remotely operated vehicle, scientists captured imagery of deep-sea biology and geology at depths ranging from 2,130 feet to 2.7 miles (650 - 4,300 meters) that had never been seen before. 

On August 26, 2016, President Obama expanded the monument by 442,781 square miles, bringing the total protected area to 582,578 square miles and making it the world's largest marine protected area.  Portions of the video originally filmed outside of Monument boundaries are now protected.

This expedition is part of a three-year effort to gain basic knowledge about the largely unknown marine protected areas in the Pacific. The combined information gained during this effort will help managers to better understand, and therefore protect, these special places.

Video courtesy of NOAA; produced by the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration.

More Information

Papahānaumokuākea Expands, Now Largest Conservation Area on Earth

Media Resources

2016 Hohonu Moana: Exploring Deep Waters off Hawaiʻi

Campaign to Address the Pacific monument Science, Technology, and Ocean NEeds (CAPSTONE)

Okeanos Explorer