Three New Marine Monuments: Biggest Act Of Ocean Protection Ever
By Matt J. Weiss, January 7, 2009 @ 02:00 AM (EST)
By now you have probably heard of the Three new ocean monuments designated by President Bush. The size of the area is massive, bigger than all other U.S National Parlks combined. Bush has certainly not been a committed environmentalist thus far, but, if done correctly, this could certainly be the best thing to happen to American waters. It also means that Bush has protected more Ocean than any other president in the history of the United States. In fact, it means that Bush has protected more of the Ocean than any other political leader.
That said, his last ocean monument in Hawaii in 2006 was celebrated at first and then stirred up a lot of controversy. With that in mind, this editorial in the New York Times that lists many of the concerns about the monument is worth a read.
Here is some more info that I gathered from some questions I had.
What is being protected?
-Three new monuments have been created: The Marina Trench National Monument, The Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument and the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument. Together they create 195, 280 square miles of protected ocean.
Why are they “monuments”
-They are being called monuments because President Bush used the Antiquities Act to protect the ocean rather than creating a Marine Sanctuary or MPA. By using the Antiquities Act Bush was able to expedite the protection process by using the President’s power to designate any landmark a national monument if it holds scientific or historic value. This means the monuments regulations will take affect immediately and not go through bureaucratic review.
Why were these areas chosen?
-The area was chosen because of its high biodiversity and unique geological features. According the James Connaughton, head of the Council on Environmental Quality, the “locations are truly among the last pristine areas in the marine environment on Earth.”
What does being a Monument mean for the habitat?
-The designation of monuments means that most commercial fishing has been band, recreational fishing is limited, and seafloor mining is prohibited.
What’s so special about the areas designated monuments?
The Mariana Trench Marine National Monument will include 21 active underwater volcanoes and geothermal vents. The trench itself is longer and the Grand Canyon and deeper than Everest.
The Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument is not as big as the Mariana Trench monument, but protects five different reefs, atolls and biologically important islands.
The Rose Atoll National Monument is in American Samoa and is the smallest monument but is home to important reefs.
That said, his last ocean monument in Hawaii in 2006 was celebrated at first and then stirred up a lot of controversy. With that in mind, this editorial in the New York Times that lists many of the concerns about the monument is worth a read.
Here is some more info that I gathered from some questions I had.
What is being protected?
-Three new monuments have been created: The Marina Trench National Monument, The Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument and the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument. Together they create 195, 280 square miles of protected ocean.
Why are they “monuments”
-They are being called monuments because President Bush used the Antiquities Act to protect the ocean rather than creating a Marine Sanctuary or MPA. By using the Antiquities Act Bush was able to expedite the protection process by using the President’s power to designate any landmark a national monument if it holds scientific or historic value. This means the monuments regulations will take affect immediately and not go through bureaucratic review.
Why were these areas chosen?
-The area was chosen because of its high biodiversity and unique geological features. According the James Connaughton, head of the Council on Environmental Quality, the “locations are truly among the last pristine areas in the marine environment on Earth.”
What does being a Monument mean for the habitat?
-The designation of monuments means that most commercial fishing has been band, recreational fishing is limited, and seafloor mining is prohibited.
What’s so special about the areas designated monuments?
The Mariana Trench Marine National Monument will include 21 active underwater volcanoes and geothermal vents. The trench itself is longer and the Grand Canyon and deeper than Everest.
The Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument is not as big as the Mariana Trench monument, but protects five different reefs, atolls and biologically important islands.
The Rose Atoll National Monument is in American Samoa and is the smallest monument but is home to important reefs.
Comments
Jan 17, 2009 1:20 PM
Joe Elanthal wrote:
When I was growing up we heard about the Mariana Trench as the deepest part of the ocean and least known place on earth. It stills brings up visions of mysterious creatures and captain Nemo
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