Ocean background
URGENT ACTION NEEDED

The Ocean's Crown Jewel

Defending Earth's Greatest Marine Sanctuary

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument faces imminent threat.

We must act now. Join Hawaiʻi's legal defense to protect 583,000 square miles of pristine ocean.

Protections are under immediate threat — but the law is on our side. An experienced team is ready with a clear injunction strategy. Your support today powers the first filings and keeps the ocean closed to exploitation.

A Monument Beyond Imagination

Larger than all U.S. National Parks combined — four times the size of California.

Papahānaumokuākea boundaries map
🏞️
All U.S. National Parks
Combined
<
🌊
Papahānaumokuākea
583,000 sq miles

The world's largest fully protected conservation area. Four times the size of California.

What We're Fighting to Protect

Whales, dolphins, the Hawaiian monk seal, coral, seabirds, and honu — icons of a thriving, sacred seascape.

Humpback whales

Humpback Whales

Thousands migrate to Hawaiian waters each winter to calve and breed.

Spinner dolphins

Spinner Dolphins

Daytime resting pods depend on quiet, protected habitats.

Hawaiian monk seal

Hawaiian Monk Seal

Among the world’s most endangered marine mammals; recovery hinges on sanctuary integrity.

Ancient coral gardens

Ancient Coral Gardens

Centuries-old reefs nurture rare species and shelter seabird foraging grounds.

Seabirds

Seabirds

World Capital — Wisdom, age 70+, still raises chicks.

Green sea turtle (Honu)

ENDANGERED Green Sea Turtle “HONU”

Over 95% of the Hawaiian green sea turtle population nests here.

The star of David Attenborough's ‘Ocean’ — showing how nature heals beyond all expectations when protected.

70%
of all U.S. coral reefs
20+
species of whales & dolphins
7,000+
species; 25% found nowhere else
Monk Seal
among the rarest marine mammals
14M
seabirds rely on these waters
Albatross
World Capital — Wisdom, age 70+, still raises chicks
Sanctuary designation

The Clock Is Ticking

This isn’t just about Hawaiʻi — by winning here, we set the precedent to defend every one of America’s protected lands for generations to come.
NOW: President Trump preparing to revoke monument protections.
NEXT MONTH: October 6 federal court scheduling conference to set hearing dates in the lawsuit challenging the attempt to reopen PMNM to commercial fishing.
IMMEDIATE IMPACT: Destruction of coral reefs that took centuries to grow.
IRREVERSIBLE: Deep-sea ecosystems may never recover in human timescale.
Ocean water background

Sacred Ocean, Sacred Stewardship

The sanctuary is central to Native Hawaiian identity, sovereignty and cultural revival — symbolizing self-determination and protection of ancestral lands and waters.

Ancestors & Domain

Papahānaumoku (Earth Mother) and Wākea (Sky Father) — sacred ancestors of the Hawaiian people. PMNM is recognized as their spiritual domain.

Pathway of Souls

Papahānaumokuākea is where life begins and where spirits return after death — the pathway of souls.

Cosmic Boundary

Often described as the cosmic boundary between life and death — a place of profound transition and meaning.

Identity & Stewardship

Care for these waters is inseparable from Native Hawaiian identity — kuleana that endures across generations.

HISTORY

From Theodore Roosevelt to Obama
A Century of Safeguarding Sacred Seas
TR

1909 — Theodore Roosevelt

Established the Hawaiian Islands Bird Reservation — the first step in protecting these sacred waters.

FDR

1940 — Franklin D. Roosevelt

Converted the area into the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge.

BC

2000 — Bill Clinton

Established the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve.

GWB

2006 — George W. Bush

Designated the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands as a National Monument.

→ 2007: Named Papahānaumokuākea; commercial fishing phased out by 2010.

BO

2010 — Barack Obama (Senator → President)

Advocated for protection; as President, oversaw UNESCO World Heritage inscription. 2016: Expanded the monument 4× — then the largest marine protected area in the world.

At Midway, within PMNM, the U.S. turned the tide of World War II — a single battle that shifted the Pacific and changed history.

Your Investment in Earth's Future

$750,000 SECURED
$750,000 NEEDED
Total Budget: $1.5 Million
Healthy reef ecosystem
Starry island at night

This Is Our Moment

For our children, for the ocean, for humanity’s future — we must act now.

Join Hawaiʻi’s Defense

In days, one of Earth's last intact marine ecosystems could be opened to exploitation.
Or we can stop it. Right here. Right now.

Your investment doesn't just save Papahānaumokuākea.
It establishes the legal precedent that protects ALL our national monuments.
It proves that some things are too precious to lose.

For more information or to contribute:

Grif Griffis
360 510 9042 · globalgrif@gmail.com

Thank you to filmmaker Ian Shive for his powerful and informative documentaries:

MIDWAY ‘EDGE OF TOMORROW’ (streaming rent/buy)

HIDDEN PACIFIC IMAX (theaters now)