Palau’s waters are some of the most biodiverse in the world—thanks to its defenders

On a clear morning in December 2020, at the southwestern edge of the Palau archipelago, rangers from the Helen Reef Resource Management Program were starting their day, tidying up around their station and checking spearguns for afternoon fishing, when they heard a motor and soon spotted an unknown vessel. This could only mean trouble. They would have been notified about a legitimate craft coming to Hotsarihie, as Helen Reef is known to the Hatohobei people, the traditional stewards of the area.

Read more