Wake Island: part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument

US President Barack Obama has proposed a vast expansion of Pacific Ocean sanctuaries for marine life. Fishing and energy exploration activities will be banned.

The proposal might create the world's largest marine sanctuary and double the area of ocean globally that is fully protected. As a result, the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument will be expanded from almost 87,000 square miles to nearly 782,000 square miles.

"Growing up in Hawaii, I learned early to appreciate the beauty and power of the ocean," says Barack Obama.

"And like Presidents Clinton and Bush before me, I'm going to use my authority as president to protect some of our most precious marine landscapes, just like we do for mountains and rivers and forests. That's why the United States is leading the fight to protect our oceans."

The US government will hear fishermen, scientists, politicians, experts in conservation and others before the proposals take effect.

Top Stories

Is Planet Earth an oblate spheroid or flat like a sheet of paper? The answer to this question isn't unanimous. Meet the Flat Earthers.

Have you ever seen a cargo ship or yacht changing shape or floating in the air above the horizon line? The fascinating illusion is called Fata Morgana.

Many will recognize him for his red beanie and his regular appearances on television during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Jacques Cousteau was the guardian of the ocean.

Nature never seizes to surprise us. The Great Blue Hole in the Caribbean Sea is an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience for the human senses.