Keep current on the expansion of large marine protected areas (MPA)in the Pacific. MPAtlas is a good source of information. Big Ocean is also a source of information on the status of large marine protected areas. Size Matters! is a presentation by Schannel van Dijken, Leilani Duffy, and Sue Miller-Taei that looks at the evolution of MPAs during 1975 - 2015. In addition to large MPAs in the Pacific, many shark sanctuaries totalling almost 14 million km2 have been designated in American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands and Tokelau. The areas are essentially the Exclusive Economic Zones of the above countries and territories (see example at left). The actions by the above governments reflect their PACIFIC ISLANDS SHARK AND RAY POLICY, are critical to shark conservation, and are supported by numerous organizations such as the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Shark Trust, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and others. In addition, many Whale or Cetacean Sanctuaries have been declared and, like shark sanctuaries, are all or part of EEZs.
Below is the current list of large Pacific MPAs:
Australian Network of Marine Reserves (Australia has a vast network of marine protected areas. The two highlighted below are major marine protected areas in the Pacific)
Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve (Australia)
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (Australia)
Marianas Trench Marine National Monument (USA)
Marae Moana––Cook Islands Marine Park (Cook Islands) (see also Joseph Brider's presentation on Marae Moana)
Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (USA)
Palau National Marine Sanctuary (Palau) and Management Plan
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (USA)
Phoenix Islands Protected Area (Republic of Kiribati)
Pitcairn Islands Marine Reserve (United Kingdom)
Le parc naturel de la mer de Corail––Natural Park of the Coral Sea (France) (see Anne Calire Goarant discussion on the successes and limits in New Caledonia's large marine protected area).
Te Tai Nui a Hau (Proposed; France)
