world's largest marine protected area, .... California

In this 2002 photo released by the New England Aquarium, a green moray eel emerges from reef in Phoenix Island, Kiribati. The tiny central Pacific islands nation of Kiribati has declared the world's largest marine protected area, a California-sized ocean wilderness of pristine coral reefs and rich fish and bird life that includes eight coral atolls.

In this 2002 photo released by New England Aquarium, a shark swims over coral reef in the waters of the Phoenix Islands, Kiribati. The tiny Pacific islands nation of Kiribati declared the world's largest marine protected area Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008, a California-sized ocean wilderness that includes pristine reefs and eight coral atolls teeming with fish and birds.

In this 2002 photo released by New England Aquarium, spectacular table corals that take decades to form are found throughout the shallow water coral reefs of the Phoenix Islands, Kiribati. The tiny central Pacific islands nation of Kiribati has declared the world's largest marine protected area, a California-sized ocean wilderness of pristine coral reefs and rich fish and bird life that includes eight coral atolls.