A pristine future for the Galápagos

This past December, National Geographic’s Pristine Seas project launched an expedition to the Galápagos to survey its extraordinary marine environments. The research team documented the treasures of this biodiversity hotspot, while also making a case for greater protection of its waters. Inspired in part by the findings from the expedition, the government of Ecuador recently announced the creation of a 15,000-square-mile marine sanctuary around two of the archipelago’s northernmost islands.