Image of the Day: Coral Archipelago

A small island in the Pacific has created the third largest marine protected area in the world's waters.

The Republic of Kiribati boasts the 73,800 square-mile Phoenix Islands Protected Area, a near pristine coral archipelago with abundant marine and bird life and the first in the region with deep-sea habitat, including underwater mountains.

Located near the equator in the Central Pacific between Hawaii and Fiji, the Phoenix Islands form an archipelago several hundred miles long.

Establishing the Phoenix Islands Protected Area ensures that the people of Kiribati can always benefit from the rich ocean life of their home, said President Anote Tong of the Republic of Kiribati.

"If the coral and reefs are protected, then the fish will thrive and grow and bring us benefit," President Tong said. "In this way all species of fish can be protected so none become depleted or extinct."

Recent expeditions found more than 120 species of coral and 520 species of fish, some new to science and nesting seabird populations, as well as healthy fish populations and the presence of sea turtles and other species.

--Sara Goudarzi

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Credit: David Obura, New England Aquarium