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When I first got wind of the details of the Guam and Palau research diving program, I thought there had to be a catch. A program that so perfectly combined academics and passion for traveling seemed too good to be true. However, less than 6 months later that skepticism has been washed away and the trip is a reality…and an irreplaceably rewarding one at that.

Since arriving in the Republic of Palau, we have spent a lot of time reflecting on our experiences on Guam (in which the environmental situation is dire).

Guam is 17 hours ahead of Los Angeles, and even our USC students were up early (or at least on time) for our first morning in Micronesia. After a generous and very international buffet breakfast in the Hilton we walked out into intermittent squalls and boarded our charter bus to the Guam Department of Agriculture. There we were met by Dave Ginsburg’s long-time friend and colleague, Brent Tibbatts of the Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources.