National Geographic Pristine Seas begins an expedition this week in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) to provide critical marine biodiversity data for advancing the country’s commitment to ocean management.
The expedition — Pristine Seas’ 50th since its founding — will explore a range of ocean ecosystems known for their resilience and biodiversity.
Conducted at the invitation of the RMI government and in partnership with the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA), Pristine Seas will work alongside local leaders and scientists to survey seven atolls in the Ralik and Ratik chains: Erikup, Ailuk, Taka, Ujelang, Ailinganea, Jemo and Enewetak.
The data gathered will help inform RMI’s Reimaanlok, a national framework for planning and establishing community-based conservation areas. Meaning “look towards the future,” the Reimaanlok process relies on cultural insights and traditional knowledge to drive conservation.
Over the course of three months, the team of scientists, filmmakers, and educators will explore places for which little scientific data has been gathered. They will document the beaches of Erikub Atoll, a critical nesting ground for green turtles in the Marshall Islands, before venturing into the remote waters of Ailinginae Atoll to assess populations of reef sharks and other apex predators. Across Taka and Ujelang, scientists will track thriving colonies of sooty terns, red-footed boobies, and frigatebirds to better understand their vital role on both the land and the surrounding sea.
Beneath the waves, researchers will explore reefs teeming with hundreds of coral species, seeking to document how these vital ecosystems remain resilient in the face of challenges like global bleaching events and other human pressures.
Researchers plan to study uninhabited sites like Enije Island—a green turtle nesting ground—and the shark-rich Enije Channel, where scientists can establish vital ecological baselines. These pristine environments help scientists to define what a healthy ocean looks like, offering rare insights into coral resilience and natural marine behaviours.
By establishing new ecological baselines, the team will evaluate how different reef systems — from pristine, uninhabited atolls to those protected by traditional community management — are affected by global reef bleaching events and other human pressures.
“This expedition is an incredible opportunity to study some of the last wild places in the Pacific Ocean, surveying reefs across a full spectrum,” said lead scientist for the expedition Juan Mayorga.
“We’ll survey reefs and explore depths rarely or never seen, and revisit sites first studied seventy years ago. These places still hold what most of the world has lost.”
Living and working aboard Pristine Seas’ research vessel the Argo, the team will use scientific techniques to capture footage of marine life from just below the ocean’s surface to the mysterious sea floor. Scientists will take surveys while SCUBA diving, drop cameras to the bottom of the sea to collect overnight footage, and float video systems 10 meters below the surface to document the marine life swimming by. Using environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling, expedition members will collect small bits of matter that can later be sequenced to identify organisms not always seen with cameras or the naked eye.
“Studying the uninhabited atolls of the Marshall Islands provides a window into how vibrant and resilient coral reef ecosystems can be in the absence of damaging activities,” said Tye Kindinger, Pristine Seas scientist.
“These remote waters serve as a vital baseline for biodiversity.”
Scientists and partners from RMI will plunge into the unknown in Pristine Seas’ state-of-the-art submersible, the Argonauta, to observe first-hand the “twilight zone,” a frontier of deep-sea biodiversity teeming with marine life. The Argonauta is outfitted with mud and water samplers, a nearly 360 underwater view, imaging sonar and more — allowing the team to gather valuable data from one of the least understood parts of the planet.
Throughout the expedition, Pristine Seas filmmakers will capture footage for a documentary film about RMI’s stunning marine biodiversity. Filming in both communities and on the Argo, the team hopes to highlight people’s special relationship to the ocean and illustrate the power of blending traditional knowledge with cutting-edge science.
“Ultimately, the most impactful outcome of our expeditions lies in the melding of traditional knowledge and modern science to help paint a full picture of the marine resources and biodiversity in a region, which in turn can inspire future generations of ocean stewards,” said expedition leader Ryan Jenkinson.
In collaboration with RMI’s Public School System, Pristine Seas will host local educators aboard the Argo to learn more about marine science and co-create educational materials that extend ocean literacy resources into classrooms and communities. The interdisciplinary team of educators from RMI will create videos, lessons, books, posters and interactive activities that will strengthen students’ knowledge of the ocean. Pristine Seas will also host a Ship Day, inviting students to tour the Argo and learn from scientists and filmmakers.
The expedition comes on the heels of RMI’s designation of the National Marine Sanctuaries of Bikar and Bokak in January 2025. The country’s first national marine sanctuary — which covers 48,000 square kilometers of water — provides an exceedingly rare glimpse into a thriving part of the Pacific Ocean. Data from Pristine Seas’ 2023 expedition to RMI helped inform the creation of the marine protected area (MPAs) in Bikar and Bokak. At MIMRA’s request, scientists from the 2023 expedition studied Bikini Atoll, a post-WWII nuclear test site. Surveys identified rare and endangered species, ranking Bikini’s reefs among the most shark-abundant on Earth.
“The Republic of the Marshall Islands has demonstrated incredible leadership in marine management and conservation,” said Kevin Chand, Pristine Seas’ senior director of Pacific policy. “The marine sanctuaries of Bikar and Bokak represent a major leap forward in RMI’s national goal of safeguarding critical biodiversity hotspots and ensuring the sustainable management of its vast marine resources.”
MPAs are a proven solution for countries looking to conserve their ocean. Reserves where fishing and other damaging activities are banned restore marine life within their boundaries. That, in turn, replenishes nearby fish populations and improves local fishing, provides jobs and economic benefits, and builds resilience against a warming ocean.
Pristine Seas started its Global Expedition in 2023 with a mission to spend five years exploring the tropical Pacific and supporting communities and governments in their efforts to protect the ocean. Since 2023, the team has explored and studied the Southern Line Islands, Tongareva, Niue, The Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Chris Hines, Director of Education for National Geographic Pristine Seas. “We are thankful to collaborate and co-create with the RMI Public School System to extend the Pristine Seas expedition into classrooms and communities. By engaging educators on ocean literacy and inspiring students with media and experiential learning opportunities rooted in Traditional Knowledge, we aim to help activate the next generation of ocean stewards.”
Juan Mayorga, lead scientist for the expedition. “Traditional ocean knowledge in the Marshall Islands runs deep. Navigators from this region crossed open ocean reading how swells bounce off distant islands, weaving stick charts that mapped wave patterns, not coastlines. That intimacy with the sea shaped how they managed their world, keeping uninhabited atolls as reserves, used only with permission and for special occasions. Reimaanlok, RMI’s resource management framework, builds on what communities have always understood: the ocean provides, but only if we care for it. That’s what we hope to pass on, bringing this expedition into RMI classrooms to show how traditional knowledge and modern science work together to protect the ocean.
