National Geographic Explorer in Residence Enric Sala quit academia to explore and protect the sea. On his journey to keep the ocean pristine, he has swam with jellyfish in Palau, gone diving in the Arctic, and got acquainted with sharks at Millennium Atoll. Sala’s explorations have led to 24 marine preserves—with a combined area more than twice the size of India. But the hard work is far from over, as Sala aims to protect 30 percent of the world’s oceans by 2030.

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Learn more about the work of Pristine Seas on their website.

Learn more about the recovery of the coral reefs around the southern Line Islands in November’s National Geographic magazine. There will be an in-depth article written by Enric, with some gorgeous photographs of this pristine ecosystem. The article is also available online here.

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Dive deeper with two other Overheard episodes about the ocean:

• In “The Secret Culture of Killer Whales,” photographer Brian Skerry swims with killer whales and discovers these apex predators have unique cultures that aren’t that different from our own.


• In “The Gateway to Secret Underwater Worlds,” discover how Jacques Cousteau opened up the deep sea to humanity and left a legacy that continues to drive underwater exploration today.

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