On World Oceans Day, Panama became the latest country to finalize plans to fulfill its 30 by 30 pledge.

Laurentino Cortizo, President of Panama, and Milciades Concepción, Panama’s Minister of Environment, signed a decree to expand the Cordillera de Coiba marine protected area from about 6,650 square miles to a total of 37,916 square miles.

The expansion will complete Panama’s commitment to the 30 by 30 initiative, which the country pledged to in January. This initiative calls for countries to protect at least 30 percent of their federal waters by 2030.

“The expansion of the marine protected area of Coiba demonstrates the clear and strong commitment of Panama to ocean conservation, and at the same time, reinforces the role of the country in the fight against climate change,” Concepción says in a Mission Blue press release. Organizations such as Mission Blue and the Wyss Foundation supported the research that ultimately led to the government expanding the protected area.

Cordillera de Coiba protects the Coiba Ridge, part of an underwater mountain range with nutrient-rich waters that harbor much biodiversity, including endangered turtles, sharks, whales and seabirds. These species use the seamounts along their migratory routes, traveling throughout the Eastern Tropical Pacific.

“Congratulations to President Laurentino Cortizo and the country of Panama for protecting this special part of the blue planet,” Dr. Sylvia Earle, Founder of Mission Blue, says in the release. “I hope this inspiring commitment gives courage to neighboring countries in the region...to take similar actions to protect the incredible biodiversity in their waters, to link up protections and create a corridor where wildlife can thrive.”

Panama’s officials aim to finalize a management plan for the MPA by the fall. Two-thirds of the newly expanded MPA are designated no-take zones, and the remaining third will allow only sustainable use. In collaboration with Blue Nature Alliance and Skylight, Panama will install a system for the monitoring and control of illegal fishing within the MPA.

"By expanding the Cordillera de Coiba Marine Protected Area, the government of Panama is not just taking bold action to safeguard the region's exceptional wildlife and biodiversity, but also strengthening Panama's robust ocean-based economy, and establishing itself as a global ocean conservation leader,” Molly McUsic, president of the Wyss Foundation, says in the release.