HONOLULU (KHON2) -- It's Ocean Month, a great time to celebrate our wonderful relationship with the Pacific in the Hawaiian Islands. Part of that is the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Its superintendent, Kim Hum, joined Take2 on Friday morning to talk about the importance of the ocean and the sanctuary system we have in Hawaii. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news "HIHWNMS is a 1,370 square mile sanctuary spread across state and federal waters in the MHI, stretching from the Kona coast to the northern tip of Kauai. Our sanctuary protects humpback whales and their habitat while they are in Hawaii during the winter months to mate, calve, and nurse their young," Hum said. "I work for NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, and we co-manage the sanctuary with our partners at the State Division of Aquatic Resources. In the northwest Hawaiian Islands, we also co-manage Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. At more than 500,000 (582,578) square miles, it is the largest contiguous fully protected conservation area in the U.S., protecting an incredible diversity of coral, fish, birds, marine mammals and other species, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. Both the Humpback Whale Sanctuary and Papahanaumokuakea are part of a network across the country of 16 sanctuaries and two monuments that protect special ocean places - kind of like our National Parks, but underwater. Waikiki beach cleanup hosted in honor of World Ocean Month Ocean Month is celebrated in June of every year in the United States. "Here at sanctuaries, every month is ocean month - but we recognize that most people have many other things that take up their time and energy so Ocean Month is a good opportunity to step back and remember how important our ocean is for our culture, our economy, our livelihoods and lifestyles, and coastal and community resilience," Hum said. This week's theme is coastal resilience. "Resilience is the ability to resist or recover from stress - and it is critically important given themultiple stressors facing our ocean. The number one threat is climate change, and it’s notsomething that will happen in the future, it is happening now. We see evidence of that allaround us, from devastating wildfires to houses falling into the ocean because of coastalerosion from sea level rise, and more frequent hurricanes and large storms causing floodingaround our state and across our nation. Sanctuaries and other marine protected areas are designed to build coastal and reef resilience - making our ocean healthier so they can withstand the stress of climate change and other threats. In terms of direct coastal resilience, the USGS estimates that healthy coral reefs can reduce wave energy hitting the coast by up to 97% and that Hawaii’s coral reefs protect $836 million worth of coastal infrastructure - that includes our homes, our businesses, and our roads. These are sometimes referred to as nature-based solutions protecting nature so it can protect us. Community resilience is also critical here in the islands, and having healthy coasts, coral reefs, and nearshore fisheries helps build community resilience. These are just some of the ways our oceans can help us thrive into the future."