The group of some 50 islands, a British protectorate, lies 1000 miles south of India. It features 220 coral species, including the world’s largest coral atoll.
Twice the size of Britain, the new reserve is fully protected, with all commercial fishing and extraction banned.
Rich in fish species, the Chagos Islands are a major breeding ground for important populations of oceanic sharks, dolphins and green and hawkbill sea turtles.
Protection from fishing will give these and other creatures, some of which are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of endangered species, a chance to regroup.
In addition, because the Chagos Island reefs recovered well from El Nino-instigated coral destruction in the late '90s, they represent a key base by which to judge the recovery of other affected coral areas.
The decision by Britain to protect the Ghagos Islands came after a four-month public consultation on the islands’ management, set out by David Milliband, British Secretary of State. More than 275,000 people and organisations from around the world participated.
"Its establishment will double the global coverage of the world's oceans under protection," stated Milliband upon announcing the designation. "This measure is a further demonstration of how the UK takes its international environmental responsibilities seriously."
“We are thrilled by the UK Government’s decision to declare the Chagos in its entirety as a no-take protected area,” said Alistair Gammell of the Pew Environment Group, a founding member of the Chagos Environment Network (CEN).
“The oceans desperately need better protection. In 2010, the International Year of Biodiversity, the UK has secured a conservation legacy which is unrivalled in scale and significance, demonstrating to the world that it is a leader in conserving the world’s marine resources for the benefit of future generations.”
The CEN is a partnership of NGOs and institutions which have campaigned for the protection of the Chagos area.
Partners have included the Chagos Conservation Trust, The Pew Environment Group, the Marine Conservation Society, the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, The Royal Society, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), The Zoological Society of London (ZSL), The Linnean Society of London and Prof C Sheppard.
After the Chagos Archipelago, the world’s second-largest marine reserve, established by President George W Bush in 2006, lies around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
At 140,000 square miles, it is a shade larger than Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
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