Barack Obama will dramatically expand a marine reserve off the coast of Hawaii, creating the world's largest marine protected area.

The US President is to quadruple in size the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the Pacific Ocean.

The move means commercial fishing will be banned from more than 582,500 sq miles (1.5 million sq km) - more than twice the size of Texas.

The expansion covers an area containing more than 7,000 marine species, including a coral that is the world's oldest-known living organism at 4,265 years old.

Image: The area includes a coral that is 4,265 years old

Mr Obama is visiting the protected area next week to draw attention to the threat posed by climate change.


He will travel to Midway Atoll, a remote coral reef that was the site of a pivotal World War II battle and is now known for its sea turtles, monk seals and millions of seabirds.

The President, who was born in Hawaii and spent most of his childhood there, pledged at the beginning of his presidency to make curbing climate change a central part of his time in the White House, which ends on 20 January.

How Your Water Bottle Could Kill This Tiger Shark

Some of his efforts have been blocked by Congress or held up in court challenges, but he has still been able to use his own power to keep public space from being developed.

Even before this Hawaii pledge, he had worked to permanently protect more than 265 million acres of land and water.

The monument was first created by former Republican president George W Bush 10 years ago.

Sky Man's Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea

Mr Bush created the world's largest marine reserve at the time, protecting close to 140,000 sq miles of ocean around the Hawaiian archipelago and inspiring a series of similar projects around the world.

Some Hawaiians had argued against the expansion. Commercial fishermen - who have been praised for sustainable fishing - say they rely on the area for between 3% and 13% of their already limited annual catch of tuna.