Hawaii National Monument Becomes World's Largest Marine Protected Area

Published August 26, 2016 at 1:52 PM EDT

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Milletseed butterflyfishes and a snorkeler in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hawaii. (Greg McFall/NOAA's National Ocean Service via Flickr)

The White House announced today that President Barack Obama will expand the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument off the coast of Hawaii, creating the world’s largest marine protected area.

The move quadruples the size of the monument from 50 miles to 200 miles. But it’s caused some controversy in Hawaii.

Here & Now‘s Meghna Chakrabarti speaks withSteve Gittings, a science coordinator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, about the significance of the expansion.

Guest

Steve Gittings, science coordinator at the NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.