Phoenix Islands Protected Area
One of Earth's largest marine protected areas, in Kiribati.
The Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) is a marine protected area located in the Republic of Kiribati, an ocean nation in the central Pacific approximately midway between Australia and Hawaii. The area conserves one of the world's largest intact oceanic coral archipelago ecosystems, including 14 known underwater seamounts and other deep-sea habitats.
- Location
- Republic of Kiribati, central Pacific
- Percentage of Kiribati's EEZ
- 11.34%
- Total land area
- 25 km² (9.7 sq mi)
- Known seamounts
- 14
Lore & Background
The Phoenix Islands Protected Area was established by the Republic of Kiribati in partnership with Conservation International and the New England Aquarium, forming the PIPA Trust. Management measures include zonation and permits. As of that date, all commercial extractive activities, including tuna fishing, are prohibited throughout the MPA, except for a small sustainable-use zone around Canton Island.
Reader's Guide
The Phoenix Islands Protected Area is significant as one of the largest protected areas on Earth, conserving a largely intact oceanic coral archipelago ecosystem. It contains seven main habitats: island, lagoon, coral reef, deep reef, seamount, deep benthos, and open ocean. It is an important feeding and spawning site for tuna. The PIPA also includes two submerged reefs and at least 14 seamounts rich in deep-water coral. Island restoration efforts have successfully eradicated invasive rats and rabbits from McKean and Rawaki islands, leading to spectacular recovery of seabird nesting.
Did You Know?
- The PIPA is equivalent in size to the state of California, but its total land area is only 25 km².
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