On wednesday the president of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba, announced at the opening of the 2014 IUCN World Parks Congress that 18,000 square miles of ocean, nearly a quarter of its waters, will be protected from commercial fishing. More than 20 species of sharks and rays inhabit Gabon’s coastline as well as 20 species of marine mammals, and four species of sea turtles, which includes the world’s largest breeding leatherback turtle population and the Atlantic Ocean’s largest breeding olive ridley turtle population.

National Geographic explorer in residence Enric Sala and photographer Michael Nichols captured some of the newest marine reserve’s residents in photographs.

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