Conservation International
by Isaac Rounds

As legend goes, the tiny Pacific island nation Palau began with a giant clam. In the empty sea, the clam grew — bigger and bigger — until it sired Latmikaik, the mother of human children, who created them with the help of storms and ocean currents.That founding myth still echoes in how Palauans relate to giant clams today. The animals remain woven into daily life and culture and play an outsized role in keeping the country's reefs healthy.

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