On Saturday morning we fly to Guam, an island about one-fifth the size of Rhode Island. Guam is part of the United States, although as a territory it lacks voting representation in Congress or a say in presidential elections. Location is primary in real estate speculation, but it is also central to military strategy and ecosystem management.

Right: Endangered hawksbill sea turtle photographed on Western Shoals Reef, Apra Harbor, Guam on August 5, 2010. Photo by USC DSO Gerry Smith.