Near the equator between Hawaii and Fiji are the Phoenix Islands – a pristine sanctuary of reefs and home to a stunning array of marine life.

Last year, the Pacific island nation of Kiribati – of which the islands are a part – established the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, the largest marine protected area in the world.

This action has been an inspiration to other nations worldwide that control large marine environments. Kiribati – with the help of CI and our partners – has accelerated a global movement to protect oceans, one of the most important natural features on the planet.

The oceans affect all life on Earth. They provide food, absorb climate-change causing carbon dioxide, and regulate weather patterns around the globe.

Kiribati is working with CI’s Pacific Islands Program and the New England Aquarium to create a management plan and to develop long-term financing for the reserve that will help protect this critical marine ecosystem and all the life it supports.

Learn more about our work with Kiribati.