Mariana Trench Marine National Monument

The Mariana Trench Marine National Monument is a protected area around the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of Earth's oceans, located in the western Pacific. Covering roughly 95,000 square miles, it safeguards unique deep-sea ecosystems, including rare organisms adapted to extreme pressure and darkness. The monument aims to conserve biodiversity, scientific research opportunities, and the natural environment of this remote underwater region. Managed by the U.S. government, it balances exploration and responsible preservation of one of the planet's least understood and most extreme habitats.