Palmyra Atoll, a place so remote it was once proposed as a nuclear waste site, has been named a “Hope Spot” by Mission Blue, a non-profit coalition dedicated to creating a global network of marine protected areas that give the world’s oceans respite from human impacts and a chance to recover and flourish. As a Mission Blue Hope Spot, Palmyra Atoll is now squarely in the international spotlight and Mission Blue and her partners are dedicated to communicating all successes and continuing threats to the area on a global level.
“Palmyra’s spectacular marine environment is a reminder of what our coral reefs should look like,” said Dr. Sylvia Earle, the legendary ocean explorer and marine biologist who founded Mission Blue. “Its remote Pacific location, its history of wildlife recovery and restoration, and the level of protection as a national wildlife refuge and marine national monument it receives make it ideal for scientific study and a beacon of hope for coral reefs everywhere.”…