Announcement: Chile Creates Enormous Ocean Preserve | National Geographic

The water surrounding Chile’s Desventuradas Islands is home to a diverse population of marine species such as the giant Juan Fernandez lobster and the Juan Fernandez fur seal. Today, the government of Chile announced the creation of a 300,000 square kilometer (115,830 square mile) marine protected area this unique ocean habitat. The purpose of the MPA is to protect the unique ocean habitat and the diverse population of marine species. National Geographic’s Pristine Seas project, led by marine ecologist Enric Sala, has been directly involved with the efforts to conserve the Desventuradas Islands and is credited with Chile’s decision to create the marine protected area.