“Easter Island is often the star of history lessons on environmental destruction, lest the past repeat itself, and it nearly did. Since 2010, I have been following the scientific expeditions documenting the impact of over-fishing in the island’s waters. While coral flourished, fish larger than one’s palm were rarely seen among the reefs. Recently at the 2015 Our Oceans Conference, Chile announced it would create a 600,000 sq km aquatic sanctuary. The marine park will protect this near-pristine bastion of ocean wildernesses and set Easter Island on a new course in the history books as a global leader in conservation, ensuring its petroglyphs and preserved specimens are not the final record of this vibrant ecosystem.”

Rhoda Klein, Curator, Exhibit and Program Developer at Science World.