The creation of a new international marine reserve in the Ross Sea was made possible after Russia dropped objections following lobbying from New Zealand.

The 25 member group that governs the Antarctic agreed to the creation of the Ross Sea Marina Protected Area at a meeting in Hobart, Tasmania, on Friday, in what the World Wildlife Fund called a “turning point” in Antarctic conservation.

“It is home to one third of the world’s Adélie penguins, one quarter of all emperor penguins, one third of all Antarctic petrels, and over half of all South Pacific Weddell seals,” said Chris Johnson, WWF-Australia Ocean Science Manager.

“This is important not just for the incredible diversity of life that it will protect, but also for the contribution it makes to building the resilience of the world’s ocean in the face of climate change,” he said.