In the previous blog entry my colleague Jim Haw gave the rationale for our work on Guam. After a week on Guam we will make the two-hour flight to Palau. The highest level of species biodiversity occurs in the Indo-West Pacific region, with nearly 2 percent of the world’s reefs distributed throughout Micronesia. Efforts to conserve coral reefs in this region include the integration of management strategies by government and non-governmental agencies alike.

Right: Dr. David Ginsburg inventories some of the student dive gear prior to leaving for Guam and Palau at the USC Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island. Photo by Jim Haw.