New marine sanctuary declared in the 'time-machine' Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean have announced the designation of a new marine sanctuary to protect the nation's largest green turtle nesting colony and its healthy shark populations.
The first marine sanctuary of the Marshall Islands has just been announced by the Pacific island nation. While it will cover two remote atolls, it will span across 48,000 square kilometres around the country’s two northernmost islands – Bikar and Bokak.
With their healthy shark populations and coral ecosystems, the islands are considered “two of the most pristine ecosystems in the Pacific Ocean”, according to National Geographic Pristine Seas which helped collect the data and information on which the new Marine Protected Area (MPA) is based.
The new marine sanctuary will now be fully protected from fishing and is part of the Marshall Islands’ Reimaanlok Conservation Framework which promotes community-led management of protected areas across the archipelago. Reimanlook translates to “look towards the future” and describes a special conservation approach which puts special emphasis on traditional knowledge and Indigenous insights so that local communities can manage their own fisheries and land resources within the protected areas.
“The ocean as our ancestors knew it is vanishing,” said Dr Hilda Heine, the Marshall Islands president. “Without sustainable ocean ecosystems, our economy, stability and cultural identity will collapse.
“The only way to continue benefiting from the ocean’s treasures is to protect it. I am proud of our country’s first marine sanctuary, which certainly won’t be its last,” she added.
In 2023, a research expedition to Bikar and Bokak by National Geographic Pristine Seas in collaboration with MIMRA, local researchers, as well as government officials, collected data about the atolls’ diverse marine life and ecosystems by doing visual scuba surveys, dropping cameras to the seabed, counting seabirds, testing environmental DNA samples, and exploring deeper realms with a submarine.
Enric Sala, National Geographic explorer in residence and founder of Pristine Seas, said: “Bikar and Bokak’s coral reefs are a time machine, like diving in the ocean of 1,000 years ago.
“In these remote atolls, we saw the healthiest coral, giant clam and reef fish populations in the central and western Pacific. They are our best baselines for what the ocean could look like if we truly let it be.”
The expedition’s data was translated into a scientific report which was then shared with decision-makers to inform the creation of the new marine sanctuary.


One of the main findings was that Bikar and Bokak are home to the largest green turtle nesting and seabird colonies in the Marshall Islands.
The region also had the highest coral cover and giant clam densities in the central and western Pacific, while showing his coral resilience to global warming, and having the highest reef-fish biomass in the tropical Pacific. Numerous rare and vulnerable species also roam the region’s reefs, including Napoleon wrasse and bumphead parrotfish, while rare fish spawning aggregations and mating sharks were observed.
It is now hoped that the marine sanctuary will boost fish populations in surrounding ecosystems to provide sustenance and jobs for local communities.
Glen Joseph, director of the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA), said: “The world’s ocean is being degraded, but we are able to bring part of it back by recognising that protection and food production are not mutually exclusive.
“Safeguarding areas of high biodiversity delivers benefits to local communities who rely on fish and other aspects of a healthy environment. Our future depends on protecting our ocean.”

"*" indicates required fields
Printed editions
Current issue
Back issues

Back Issues
Issue 39 Special Edition: OPY2024

Back Issues
Issue 37 Wild Alaska: River & Ocean
Enjoy so much more from Oceanographic Magazine by becoming a subscriber.
A range of subscription options are available.