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The Ross Sea in Antarctica will officially become the world's largest marine protected area (MPA), with 1.57 million square kilometres (600,000 square miles) of ocean gaining protection from commercial fishing for 35 years.

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) agreed to designate the Ross Sea as an MPA at a meeting held in Hobart, Australia.

Although the Ross Sea only makes up about 2% of the Southern Ocean, it is home to 38% of the planet's Adelie penguins, 30% of all Antarctic petrels and 6% of the world's Antarctic minke whales, so it's brilliant that they will now be protected.

Lewis Pugh, UN Patron for the Oceans said, "For me this is an issue about justice - justice between generations. There seems to be something fundamentally wrong with us destroying our oceans so our children and grandchildren have absolutely nothing."

Photo of Adelie penguins by Christine Veeschkens.

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