The New England Aquarium recently announced the launch of the website for the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA). PIPA is the third largest marine protected area in the world and was recently nominated as a world heritage site. The New England Aquarium, under the direction of VP Gregory Stone, has played a critical role in the development of the PIPA, starting with two expeditions to conduct biological surveys of the islands in 2000 and 2002 and a National Geographic article in 2004.