Ocean sanctuary
The Austral Islands reserve, if approved, would be roughly the size of California, Nevada and Arizona combined.
After six years of planning, NOAA failed to secure necessary state support.
World leaders seem to be one-upping each other when it comes to protecting marine life.
Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary, announced at the U.N. General Assembly, preserves "one of the few relatively unspoiled areas of ocean on Earth."
