Marianas Trench Marine National Monument 300 Ala Moana Blvd., Rm. 5-231 Marianas Trench Honolulu, HI 96850 Marine National Monument Planning Update Number 1, May 2011 Soft corals and tropical fish at the summit of East Diamante / NOAA 4 Charting a Course for the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument If you would like to be added to or removed from the Monument Greetings! On January 6, 2009, of the Northern Mariana Islands Volcanic Unit and the Trench Unit Management Plan mailing list, or if you prefer to receive President George W. Bush (CNMI) maintains all authority for as units of the National Wildlife future updates via electronic mail or hard copy, please established the Marianas Trench managing the three islands within Refuge System, the Marianas Arc contact us at (808) 944-2223 with your full name and address. Marine National Monument the Islands Unit above the mean of Fire National Wildlife Refuge (MNM) with Presidential low water line. The Monument (NWR) and the Marianas Trench Proclamation 8335. The Monument encompasses approximately 61 NWR, respectively. Help us identify the scope of issues to be considered during the early consists of three units; the Islands million acres of submerged lands planning phase by sending your comments to: Unit encompasses the waters and and certain waters of the Mariana The Service and NOAA are submerged lands of the three Archipelago. beginning development of the E-mail: [email protected], include “Marianas Trench MNM” in the northernmost Mariana Islands Monument Management Plan subject line of the message. (Farallon de Pajaros, Maug, and The Secretary of the Interior has (MMP) working cooperatively Asuncion) from the mean low water lead responsibility for management under the Service’s lead in this line out approximately 50 nautical of the Monument, in cooperation process. Over the coming year, U.S. Mail: Heidi Hirsh, National Resource Management Specialist, NOAA, miles (nmi); the Volcanic Unit, with the Secretary of Commerce we will be seeking input from the NMFS, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., #1110, Honolulu, HI 96814. encompasses 21 designated volcanic who has primary responsibility public, interested agencies, and features and the surrounding for management of fishery-related organizations regarding concerns, Additional information about the Monument is available on our websites: submerged lands out to 1 nmi activities. interests, and viewpoints about radius; and the Trench Unit, monument management issues. http://www.fws.gov/marianastrenchmarinemonument encompasses the submerged lands To carry out his responsibilities, http://www.fpir.noaa.gov/MNM/mnm_index.html within the Mariana Trench. the Secretary of the Interior Opportunities for public input delegated management of the will be announced throughout the No waters are included in the monument to the U.S. Fish and planning process. We may hold Volcanic and Trench Units, and Wildlife Service (Service) and public meetings to help share directed the Service to manage the Government of the Commonwealth information and obtain comments. Champagne vent at NW Eifuku volcano / NOAA 2 3 The MMP Planning Process this refuge, chemosynthetic and region is virtually unexplored, Preliminary Issues that scientific exploration In the coming months we will be photosynthetic organisms co-exist and much remains to be learned and research, tourism, and posting a schedule of comment The MMP will satisfy the side-by-side, creating unique about its ecological and biological We have identified the recreational and commercial opportunities on our websites. Comprehensive Conservation Plan biological hotspots of diversity. characteristics. following preliminary issues activities do not degrade Comments received during our requirements for the two refuges Here species also survive in the and activities that we may the Monument's coral reef initial and subsequent scoping and NOAA requirements for midst of hydrothermal vents that Islands Unit of the Marinas address in the MMP. ecosystem or diminish the opportunities will be reported in fishery-related regulations. produce highly acidic and boiling Trench MNM Monument's natural character. future planning updates. chemical soup. The temperature • Management of the The plan will outline a vision, around the vents can reach up to Islands Unit, in goals, objectives, and management The Islands Unit includes only 572° F. consultation with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service strategies for the Marianas the waters and submerged Marianas Trench Marine National Monument Land Status the Government of Trench MNM. It will be lands of the three northernmost Pacific Islands Mariana Trench NWR the CNMI, including accompanied by an Environmental Mariana Islands, Farallon de 140°0'0"E 150°0'0"E designating Assessment describing the Pajaros, Maug, and Asuncion, 1 specific roles and 4 The crescent-shaped Mariana below the mean low water line. N. Korea 5 alternatives considered and their ° responsibilities. S. Korea Location Map environmental effects. The MMP Trench, stretching approximately Unique reef habitats support Japan 1,000 • Public education China Nautical Miles 940 nautical miles long and 38 marine communities dependent Mariana Trench will be reviewed annually, updated NWR a Se programs and public e nautical miles wide, extends from on basalt rock foundations. These pin ilip when needed, and revised every Ph Mariana outreach regarding Arc of Fire the northern limit of the U.S. reefs and waters are among the 18° 15 years. NW Eifuku NWR Wake Atoll the Monument’s Guam NWR NWR Philippines PA EEZ in the Commonwealth of the most biologically diverse in the Fukujin CI k FIC coral reef OC k EA Presidential Proclamation 8335 Northern Mariana Islands to the Western Pacific and include the Minami Kasuga #2 k Papua N k New Guinea k 0° ecosystem, related Indonesia requires the establishment of a southern limit of the U.S. EEZ greatest diversity of seamount Solomon Is. Minami Kasuga #3 Daikoku Mariana Monument Advisory in Guam. The Mariana Trench is and hydrothermal vent life yet marine resources Timor-Leste M Farallon Ahyi Council to provide advice and species, and de Pajaros k where the Pacific Plate plunges discovered. They also contain one 20°0'0"N A Maug Maug Islands k 20°0'0"N and recommendations on the beneath the Philippine Sea Plate of the most diverse collections of conservation efforts. R development of management plans • Traditional access I Asuncion and into the Earth’s mantle. It stony corals, including more than A Island and management of the monument. contains some of the deepest 300 species, higher than any other to the Monument N The Council is to include three A Agrihan known points in the global ocean. U.S. reef area. by indigenous Alice Sprigs N o r t h officials of the CNMI government k persons for k Pagan Due to its inaccessibility, the and one representative each from P h i l i p p i n e P a c i f i c culturally significant Alamagan the Department of Defense and the Central trough subsistence, and S e a Guguan O c e a n U.S. Coast Guard. Zealandia k other cultural and I S Sarigan Anatahan religious uses. L Monument Overview E. Diamante Farallon A k • A program to de Medinilla N Ruby k assess and promote D Saipan Mariana Arc of Fire NWR Esmeralda S k Monument- Tinian Legend W Rota #1 k Aguijan related scientific k The Mariana Arc of Fire NWR Rota Marianas Trench exploration and W Rota Marine National is located in the Western Pacific Forecast Monument Boundary research, tourism, Pika site k along the Mariana Ridge. The k Guam Approved National Wildlife and recreational and Archaean site k Refuge Boundary refuge includes 21 submerged South Backarc k Seamount economic activities X volcanic features and their Toto Mariana Trench NWR and opportunities in (Trench Unit) surrounding submerged lands the CNMI. within a circle with a 1 nmi radius. k Mariana Arc of Fire NWR • Programs for (Volcanic Unit) All of these features are within monitoring and the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone Islands Unit enforcement (EEZ) surrounding the Mariana 10°0'0"N 10°0'0"N necessary to ensure Islands. 140°0'0"E 150°0'0"E PRODUCED IN THE DIVISION OF REALTY & REFUGE INFORMATION This refuge supports unusual life PORTLAND, OREGON 0 75 150 300 LAND STATUS CURRENT TO: 7/14/2009 Miles forms in some of the harshest MAP DATE: 3/1/2011 BASEMAP: N/A Kilometers Black smokers at the Black Forest site at East Diamante Volcano, MERIDIAN: N/A 0 75 150 300 UTM ZONE 55N conditions imaginable. In areas of WGS 84 part of the Volcanic Unit / NOAA FILE: 11-079-2.MXD 2 3 The MMP Planning Process this refuge, chemosynthetic and region is virtually unexplored, Preliminary Issues that scientific exploration In the coming months we will be photosynthetic organisms co-exist and much remains to be learned and research, tourism, and posting a schedule of comment The MMP will satisfy the side-by-side, creating unique about its ecological and biological We have identified the recreational and commercial opportunities on our websites. Comprehensive Conservation Plan biological hotspots of diversity. characteristics. following preliminary issues activities do not degrade Comments received during our requirements for the two refuges Here species also survive in the and activities that we may the Monument's coral reef initial and subsequent scoping and NOAA requirements for midst of hydrothermal vents that Islands Unit of the Marinas address in the MMP. ecosystem or diminish the opportunities will be reported in fishery-related regulations. produce highly acidic and boiling Trench MNM Monument's natural character. future planning updates. chemical soup. The temperature • Management of the The plan will outline a vision, around the vents can reach up to Islands Unit, in goals, objectives, and management The Islands Unit includes only 572° F. consultation with U.S.