My fellowship with Coral Reefs of the High Seas reached an important milestone yesterday, we officially submitted our paper to the journal Marine Policy! The paper focused on the many cultural and maritime uses of the Salas y Gomez and Nazca Ridges between coastal Chile and Rapa Nui to provide further evidence that this area needs protection. Although the negotiations to create the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) treaty have yet to be completed, we are making the case for high seas conservation in preparation for its eventual ratification. Once ratified, the BBNJ will create a legal pathway to protect the Salas y Gomez and Nazca Ridges from ecological damage and this paper is one of many that can provide ample justification for its protection.

Now that this paper has been submitted, I am focusing my efforts on drafting a mini-review of current literature on the ecological processes in the Salas y Gomez and Nazca Ridges. This is my first time spearheading a paper for publication. I am hoping to have a draft completed by the end of August.

My advisor and I are also working with the Coral Reefs of the High Seas communications team to create outreach materials for cultural heritage paper including a fact sheet (translated into Spanish and Rapa Nui), an informational video, and an Arc GIS story map. For the video and story map, I have been searching maritime museum databases for historical footage and photos of ships and artefacts mentioned in the paper.

I can’t believe how quickly this summer has flown by. I’ve really enjoyed working with the Coral Reefs of the High Seas team and learning more about high seas policy.