Unveiling the Hidden Gems of the Pacific Ocean
Deep within the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean lies a treasure trove of pristine ecosystems, untouched and teeming with life. These remote islands and atolls, scattered across the ocean, are biodiversity hotspots, boasting thriving coral reefs and a kaleidoscope of marine life.
Stretching across over a million square miles of the Pacific, these waters are safeguarded as U.S. marine national monuments and sanctuaries, a testament to the importance of preserving our planet’s delicate ecosystem. However, a recent development has left conservationists and scientists reeling.
The Trump Administration’s Decision to Open Waters to Commercial Fishing
In a move that has sparked heated debate, the Trump administration has announced plans to open some of these waters to commercial fishing. This decision has been met with resistance from conservation groups, who argue that it could irreparably harm the sensitive ecosystem.
Palmyra Atoll, a tiny island located in the Pacific, is one such example of a protected area that could be affected by this decision. Home to a field research station run by The Nature Conservancy, Palmyra Atoll is a hub for scientific research and conservation efforts. The atoll’s unique ecosystem, with its coral reefs and diverse marine life, makes it an ideal location for studying the impact of human activities on the ocean.
Atolls like Palmyra are formed by ancient volcanic islands surrounded by coral reefs. As the volcano erodes and disappears below the water, the reef continues to grow upward, eventually forming a ring of low-lying islands. These islands are built from the skeletons of the reef that surrounds them, creating a delicate balance of life and death.
The Pacific atolls have been home to various human activities throughout history, from Polynesian seafaring voyages to colonial powers reshaping the islands and removing native forests. Even World War II left its mark, with the U.S. military remaking many atolls for military purposes. Despite these changes, Pacific atolls remain among the wildest places on the planet.
Seabirds use these islands as nesting sites to raise their young, returning to the open ocean to hunt for fish. Sooty terns, for example, spend years at sea, flying thousands of miles before coming back to land to breed. The reefs surrounding many atolls are still largely untouched, with coral colonies the size of city buses.
At Palmyra Atoll, blacktip and grey reef sharks cruise the reefs’ edges, while scientists have found it has one of the highest densities of predators in the world, a rare example of a food chain that remains intact. Pacific atolls also attract deep-water species that swim hundreds of miles, like tuna. In the warm, nutrient-poor waters of the central Pacific, atolls are like bustling cafés, where seabirds rely on tuna and other large predators to corral schools of small fish.
The Importance of Protecting Pacific Atolls
The interconnected ecosystem surrounding Pacific atolls is one of the reasons these waters were granted federal protections. In January 2009, President George W. Bush established three national marine monuments in the Pacific, and in 2014, the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument was expanded.
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, established in 2006 in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, is the largest fully protected conservation area in the United States. However, last year, President Trump opened parts of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument to allow commercial fishing beyond 57 miles from shore.
After conservation groups sued, a judge ruled that the Trump administration must go through a full regulatory process to change the fishing rules. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is now in the process of considering those changes. In June, Trump proclaimed that commercial fishing be allowed in the deep waters of three other Pacific monuments, including Papahānaumokuākea.
Conservation groups argue that allowing fishing could harm the sensitive ecosystem. While catching tuna, fishing vessels also inadvertently catch other species, like sharks. In 2015, the last year fishing was allowed around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, the longline fishing fleet caught and discarded more than 7,000 sharks. While some sharks survive being caught, others don’t.
Ecologists have found that protected areas can allow more fish to breed, increasing the population. They then swim outside protected zones, where they can be caught – what’s known as spillover. Researchers are trying to figure out whether that spillover effect happens for highly migratory species like tuna, which swim in and out of protected zones.
A 2022 study found that the catch rate of yellowfin tuna went up 54% after the protections for Papahānaumokuākea were expanded. Bigeye tuna catch rates went up 12%. However, a 2024 study found no evidence that catching yellowfin tuna was easier. It did find that bigeye tuna was 13% easier to catch.
