World Heritage Identification Number: 1326
World Heritage since: 2010
Category: Mixed Cultural Heritage and Natural Heritage
WHE Type: Protected Areas & National Parks
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇺🇸 United States of America
Continent: Americas
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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Papahānaumokuākea: A Unique and Significant Marine Protected Area
Papahānaumokuākea, officially recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010, is a remarkable marine national monument located approximately 250 kilometers northwest of the main Hawaiian Archipelago. Spanning over 1931 kilometers, this expansive region includes ten small, low-lying islands and atolls, along with their surrounding ocean, making it one of the largest marine protected areas (MPAs) globally.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Papahānaumokuākea is a vast and isolated linear cluster of small, low lying islands and atolls, with their surrounding ocean, roughly 250 km to the northwest of the main Hawaiian Archipelago and extending over some 1931 km. The area has deep cosmological and traditional significance for living Native Hawaiian culture, as an ancestral environment, as an embodiment of the Hawaiian concept of kinship between people and the natural world, and as the place where it is believed that life originates and to where the spirits return after death. On two of the islands, Nihoa and Makumanamana, there are archaeological remains relating to pre-European settlement and use. Much of the monument is made up of pelagic and deepwater habitats, with notable features such as seamounts and submerged banks, extensive coral reefs and lagoons. It is one of the largest marine protected areas (MPAs) in the world.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (iii): The well preserved heiau shrines on Nihoa and Mokumanamana, and their associated still living traditions are both distinctive to Hawai’i but, positioned within a wider 3,000 year old Pacific/Polynesian marae-ahu cultural continuum, they can be seen as an exceptional testimony to the strong cultural affiliation between Hawai’i, Tahiti and the Marquesas, resulting from long periods of migration.
Criterion (vi): The vibrant and persistent beliefs associated with Papahānaumokuākea are of outstanding significance as a key element in Pacific socio-cultural evolutionary patterns of beliefs and provide a profound understanding of the key roles that ancient marae-ahu, such as those found in Raiatea, the ‘centre’ of Polynesia, once fulfilled. These living traditions of the Hawaiians that celebrate the natural abundance of Papahānaumokuākea and its association with sacred realms of life and death, are directly and tangibly associated with the heiau shrines of Nihoa and Mokumanamana and the pristine islands beyond to the north-west.
Criterion (viii): The property provides an illustrating example of island hotspot progression, formed as a result of a relatively stationary hotspot and stable tectonic plate movement. Comprising a major portion of the world’s longest and oldest volcanic chain, the scale, distinctness and linearity of the manifestation of these geological processes in Papahānaumokuākea are unrivalled and have shaped our understanding of plate tectonics and hotspots. The geological values of the property are directly connected to the values in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and World Heritage property and jointly present a very significant testimony of hotspot volcanism.
Criterion (ix): The large area of the property encompasses a multitude of habitats, ranging from 4,600 m below sea level to 275 m above sea level, including abyssal areas, seamounts and submerged banks, coral reefs, shallow lagoons, littoral shores, dunes, dry grasslands and shrublands and a hypersaline lake. The size of the archipelago, its biogeographic isolation as well as the distance between islands and atolls has led to distinct and varied habitat types and species assemblages. Papahānaumokuākea constitutes a remarkable example of ongoing evolutionary and bio-geographical processes, as illustrated by its exceptional ecosystems, speciation from single ancestral species, species assemblages and very high degree of marine and terrestrial endemism. For example, a quarter of the nearly 7,000 presently known marine species in the area are endemic. Over a fifth of the fish species are unique to the archipelago while coral species endemism is over 40%. As many species and habitats remain to be studied in detail these numbers are likely to rise. Because of its isolation, scale and high degree of protection the property provides an unrivalled example of reef ecosystems which are still dominated by top predators such as sharks, a feature lost from most other island environments due to human activity.
Criterion (x): The terrestrial and marine habitats of Papahānaumokuākea are crucial for the survival of many endangered or vulnerable species the distributions of which are highly or entirely restricted to the area. This includes the critically endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal, four endemic bird species (Laysan Duck, Laysan Finch, Nihoa Finch and Nihoa Millerbird, and six species of endangered plants such as the Fan Palm. Papahānaumokuākea is a vital feeding, nesting, and nursery habitat for many other species, including seabirds, sea turtles and cetaceans. With 5.5 million sea birds nesting in the monument every year and 14 million residing in it seasonally it is collectively the largest tropical seabird rookery in the world, and includes 99% of the world’s Laysan Albatross (vulnerable) and 98% of the world’s Black-footed Albatross (endangered). Despite relatively low species diversity compared to many other coral reef environments, the property is thus of very high in situ biodiversity conservation value.
Encyclopedia Record: Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is a World Heritage listed U.S. national monument encompassing 583,000 square miles (1,510,000 km2) of ocean waters, including ten islands and atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It was created in June 2006 with 140,000 square miles (360,000 km2) and expanded in August 2016 by moving its border to the limit of the exclusive economic zone, making it one of the world's largest protected areas. It is internationally known for its cultural and natural values as follows: The area has deep cosmological and traditional significance for living Native Hawaiian culture, as an ancestral environment, as an embodiment of the Hawaiian concept of kinship between people and the natural world, and as the place where it is believed that life originates and to where the spirits return after death. On two of the islands, Nīhoa and Mokumanamana, there are archaeological remains relating to pre-European settlement and use. Much of the monument is made up of pelagic and deepwater habitats, with notable features such as seamounts and submerged banks, extensive coral reefs and lagoons.Additional Site Details
Area: 36,207,499 hectares
Number of Components: 1
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions
(viii) — Outstanding example representing major earth stages
(ix) — Outstanding example representing ecological and biological processes
(x) — Contains most important habitats for biodiversity
Coordinates: 25.34907 , -170.14582
IUCN World Heritage Outlook
The 2025 Conservation Outlook on Papahānaumokuākea reports the following assessment:
Source: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) · View assessment
Image
Claire Fackler, CINMS, NOAA., Public domain
World Heritage Research
Discover scientific research and academic studies that deepen our understanding of Papahānaumokuākea from its history and significance to its conservation, management, and contemporary challenges.
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Expedition Report: EX2501, Papahānaumokuākea Mapping 3
A groundbreaking mapping expedition, EX2501, conducted by NOAA Ocean Exploration from October 19 to November 12, 2024, significantly advanced the understanding of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The expedition mapped an extensive area of 44,264 square kilometers of seafloor within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, all at depths greater than 200 meters. This comprehensive mapping effort provides critical data for scientific research and conservation efforts in one of the most remote and ecologically significant marine regions on Earth. The expedition utilized advanced oceanographic technologies to capture detailed seafloor topography, contributing valuable insights into the geological and biological characteristics of this unique World Heritage Site.
Albano, P., Caradine-Taber, S., Hanley, M., Freitas, D., & Jones-Stanley, D. (2025). Expedition Report: EX2501, Papahānaumokuākea Mapping 3. EX-25-01. https://doi.org/10.25923/7ZJG-5F56
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Expedition Report: Papahānaumokuākea ROV and Mapping (EX2503)
A groundbreaking expedition in Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Monument mapped 48,219 sq. km of seafloor and conducted 16 ROV dives, significantly expanding our understanding of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. The NOAA-led mission (April 8–May 5, 2025) utilized advanced mapping and remotely operated vehicles to explore previously uncharted deep-sea terrain within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. This unprecedented survey provides critical baseline data for marine conservation efforts, revealing complex seafloor topography and supporting biodiversity research in one of Earth's most remote and ecologically significant regions.
Cuellar, S., Bacheler, N., Kennedy, B., Kahanamoku-Meyer, S., Medley, R., Meyer, J., Caradine-Taber, S., Lienesch, A., & Schweizer, J. (2026). Expedition Report: Papahānaumokuākea ROV and Mapping (EX2503). EX2503. https://doi.org/10.25923/ZMEC-B493
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Observations of Oceanic Whitetip Sharks, Carcharhinus longimanus, a globally threatened species, in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (central Pacific)
A rare glimpse into the distribution of oceanic whitetip sharks (Carcharhinus longimanus), a globally threatened species, was captured within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) in the central Pacific. Observations from 2015 to 2026 revealed that these sharks are non-randomly distributed, predominantly found at or shallower than 50 meters in the monument's northwest region. The study utilized remotely operated vehicle dives and forward-looking camera footage to document brief but significant encounters with single sharks, often accompanied by small forage fishes and other piscivores. These findings lay groundwork for understanding shark behavior and distribution patterns in one of the largest U.S. marine protected areas, offering critical insights for future conservation efforts.
Auster, P., Kennedy, B., & Kahanamoku-Meyer, S. (2026). Observations of Oceanic Whitetip Sharks, Carcharhinus longimanus, a globally threatened species, in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (central Pacific). Ocean Science Foundation. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.22881043
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Navigating uncertainty in environmental DNA detection of a nuisance marine macroalga
A novel environmental DNA (eDNA) assay demonstrates high sensitivity and reliability for detecting the nuisance marine macroalga Chondria tumulosa at low abundances, with detection probabilities of at least 92% at occupied sites in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The study validated the assay using site-occupancy modeling from quantitative PCR (qPCR) data and high-throughput sequencing, achieving false-positive rates of 3% or less and false-negative errors of 11% or less. This cost-effective tool enhances early detection capabilities for invasive species, supporting timely conservation interventions in shallow marine environments (< 10 m). The research addresses uncertainties in eDNA analyses, providing a robust framework for balancing molecular and visual detection methods in ecological monitoring.
Nichols, P. K., Fraiola, K. M. S., Sherwood, A. R., Hauk, B. B., Lopes, K. H., Davis, C. A., Fumo, J. T., Counsell, C. W. W., Williams, T. M., Spalding, H. L., & Marko, P. B. (2025). Navigating uncertainty in environmental DNA detection of a nuisance marine macroalga. Plos One, 20(2), e0318414. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318414
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A new mesophotic species Platoma piiahiluum sp. nov . (Schizymeniaceae) from the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Hawaiʻi, USA
Researchers have discovered a new species of red algae, Platoma piiahiluum, endemic to the mesophotic coral ecosystems of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. This species, distinguished by its transparent, non-branching thalli and unique mitochondrial genome structure—featuring a stem-loop and inversion—was identified through phylogenetic, genomic, and morphological analyses. The study, utilizing plastid (rbcL) and mitochondrial (COI) markers, along with full-genome sequencing, confirms P. piiahiluum as the second known species of Platoma in Hawaiʻi, with the first, P. ardreanum, inhabiting shallow waters. This finding underscores the high endemic diversity in Hawaiian mesophotic zones and highlights the ecological significance of uninhabited islands within Papahānaumokuākea.
Allsopp, K. R., Cabrera, F. P., Kosaki, R. K., Hauk, B. B., Wagner, D., Matadobra, S. J., & Sherwood, A. R. (2025). A new mesophotic species Platoma piiahiluum sp. nov . (Schizymeniaceae) from the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Hawaiʻi, USA. Phycologia, 64(2), 108–117. https://doi.org/10.1080/00318884.2025.2484035
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Assessment of the spatial distribution of Chondria tumulosa, a nuisance macroalga at Manawai in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument using high‐resolution satellite imagery
A red macroalgal species, Chondria tumulosa, has been identified as a nuisance in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM), particularly at Manawai (Pearl and Hermes Atoll), where it overgrows native coral and algal communities. This study employed high-resolution satellite imagery from WorldView-2 and -3 to map its spatial distribution across the forereef and backreef over a 12-year period (2010–2021). By analyzing dark patches in time-series animations—first observed in 2015—and validating them against field survey data, researchers achieved an average accuracy of 78% in classifying C. tumulosa using machine learning. The findings highlight the potential of remote sensing for monitoring invasive species in remote marine environments, offering a tool for long-term management and conservation efforts.
Beyer, L., Miura, T., Fraiola, K., Spalding, H. L., Williams, T. M., Martinez, J., Kosaki, R. K., & Lopes, K. H. (2025). Assessment of the spatial distribution of Chondria tumulosa, a nuisance macroalga at Manawai in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument using high‐resolution satellite imagery. Journal of Phycology, 61(3), 722–736. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpy.70025
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Description of a novel Ligia species from Nihoa, a remote island in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
A novel species of Ligia, named Ligia barack sp. nov., has been discovered on Nihoa, a remote island within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM). This finding significantly expands the known biodiversity of the PMNM and underscores the region's unique ecological significance. The discovery was made using molecular taxonomic approaches, which revealed that Ligia from Nihoa form a highly divergent and reciprocally monophyletic lineage distinct from other Hawaiian Ligia species. This study highlights the importance of continued exploration and conservation efforts in remote and biodiverse regions like the PMNM, where additional cryptic species may yet remain undiscovered.
Santamaria, C. A., Bork, A., Larson, A. J., & Link, D. J. (2025). Description of a novel Ligia species from Nihoa, a remote island in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. PeerJ, 13, e19373. Portico. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.19373
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