Recently, we wrote about a coral reef near the Phoenix Islands that was found teeming with life years after being pronounced dead. The revival of this was accredited to the marine protection area that surrounds the islands, and now President Obama has signed legislation that will create a new marine protection area larger than any other in the world. Known as the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, the protected area will cover a grand total of 442,781 square miles to protect over 7,000 marine species from shipping freights and commercial fishing. Obama’s announcement comes just as the U.S. celebrates the National Park Service’s centennial anniversary.