[Washington post, Sept. 25]Obama declares marine reserve on vast tracts of Pacific Ocean; off-limits to oil exploration

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http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/sep/25/obama-declares-marine-reserve-vast-tracts-pacific-/

Obama declares marine reserve on vast tracts of Pacific Ocean; off-limits to oil exploration

By Dave Boyer - The Washington Times - Thursday, September 25, 2014

FILE- This April 26, 2013 file photo shows the West Hercules drilling rig in the Skaanevik fjord in western Norway. Norway’s government controlled Statoil oil company reported Thursday Aug. 7, 2014, that it has not found any commercial quantities of ... more >

President Obama used his executive powers Thursday to create the world's largest marine reserve in the Pacific Ocean, banning fishing and energy exploration in a territory three times the size of California.

The president's proclamation expanded the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument reserve, created by President George W. Bush in early 2009, to about six times its current size.

Mr. Obama's order forbids commercial fishing and deep-sea mining in 490,000 square miles of the south-central Pacific, the White House said. The vast region includes undersea mountains, coral reefs and atolls where rare bird species such as sooty terns, black-footed albatross and red-footed boobies migrate.

In addition to the protection of wildlife, a Whites House fact sheet said rising sea levels and warmer ocean temperatures caused by climate change are the basis for the president' decision to protect "some of our most precious marine landscape."

"The administration identified expanding the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument as an area of particular interest because science has shown that large marine protected areas can help rebuild biodiversity, support fish populations, and improve overall ecosystem resilience," the White House said.