2 400 Exclusive Economic and Fishing Zones Marine-Protected Areas Our world can feel small and crowded. Remarkably, isolated, unspoiled regions still exist. The Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape still has some of these places—for now. The Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape spans the waters off the shores of Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador and pools around the UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Cocos Islands and Galápagos Islands. In between, some protected but mostly vast areas of unprotected waters ebb and flow, creating danger zones for wondrous giants of the sea. High levels of unregulated fishing and pollution extend the risk posed to all marine life. How does one protect two- million-square kilometers of underwater habitats, bounded by numerous countries—each with their own governing bodies and interests? Saving the Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape from threats like overfishing, illegal fishing, and pollution is beyond the scope of any single group. And scientific research is critical to understanding this ecosystem, providing the information needed for credible conservation management. That is why Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and its Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) and Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Research Center have joined the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF) and the owners of Tropic Star Lodge, a world-renowned resort in Panama, to conduct research in this special and envi- ronmentally important region. DOWNIN THE TROPICS MAHMOOD SHIVJI, PH.D. Professor, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center; Director, Guy Harvey Research Institute; Director, Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Research Center BERNADETTE BRUCE, M.B.A. Executive Director, NSU Printing and Publications HOLLY LYNN BAUMGARTNER, PH.D. Dean, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center
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