President of the Republic of Palau, H.E. Johnson Toribiong, announced today that the waters off their coast have officially been reserved as a shark sanctuary! Encompassing 230,000 sq. miles, this sanctuary will be the world’s first refuge for more than 130 species of sharks that frequent the waters near the island of Palau.

With an increasing number of threatened species, acts of conservation like this are the key to maintaining a healthy underwater environment. Check out the Palau Shark Sanctuary’s blog for more details on this recent announcement.