Projects and Research

The purposes for which the Mariana Arc of Fire National Wildlife Refuge was established is to preserve and protect the deepest known habitats in the global ocean; to maintain the natural biological diversity within the refuge; provide for the conservation, protection, management, and restoration of fish, wildlife, plants, and other objects of scientific interest associated with the submerged lands of the refuge; and provide opportunities for national and international refuge-related scientific exploration and research and for the sharing of resulting knowledge. 

Presidential Proclamation 8335 established the monument in January 2009 and assigned management responsibility to the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce. The Interior Secretary placed the Mariana Trench and Volcanic Units within the National Wildlife Refuge System, and delegated his management responsibility to the Fish and Wildlife Service. The Secretary of Commerce, through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has primary management responsibility for fishery related activities in the waters of the Islands Unit. 

Every national wildlife refuge was created for a special purpose. Some were created to protect migratory birds, others to protect threatened or endangered species or unique habitats, while others fulfill another special purpose. All activities allowed on refuges must be evaluated to make sure each activity will not conflict with the reason the refuge was founded.