ARCAS has acheived the legal declaration of the 4019ha Hawaii Marine Protected Area and 25ha El Salado Wildlife Reserve, and with local communities is working to sustainably manage the natural resources and preserve the environmental services the areas provide. These include the mitigation of climate changes, protection of especially endangered species such as leatherback sea turtle, hammerhead sharks and mangrove forests, and promoting sustainable livelihoods, primarily ecotourism. ARCAS has been working in the area since 1994, and in 2016 acheived the declaration of the Hawaii Marine Protected Area, and is currently working to have the Area extended 12 miles into the ocean.