The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is planning an online party next month to mark the 15th anniversary of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument off Hawaii.
According to a recent foundation email:
“Join us on July 15th for an exciting conversation about marine protection and collaborative conservation!
“Make sure to visit our Facebook page on Thursday, July 15th for a discussion on cultural heritage protection celebrating the 15th anniversary of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. The distinguished panel will include viewpoints from American Samoa, Palau, and Hawaii and speak to how we can simultaneously preserve crucial natural and cultural heritage resources for the benefit of future generations.”
In 2000, the establishment of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve (now the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument and World Heritage Site) launched a movement to establish large-scale Marine Protected Areas to strengthen the management of our global ocean.
Today, there are 33 designated large-scale marine protected areas in 16 nations or territories. These MPAs cover a total of 4.6% of the ocean. Notably, many of these MPAs also protect significant cultural resources and engage local communities and Indigenous people in co-management.
The virtual event will take place on Facebook Live at 7:00pm ET/4:00pm PT/1:00pm HT through the Foundation’s Blue Beacon Series: Big Ocean Protection Facebook event page. It can also be streamed on the Foundation’s website.
You can RSVP on the foundation’s Facebook event page as “Going” or “Interested” here.
