Kimbe Bay, boasting more than 60 percent of the coral species of the entire Indo-Pacific, is a prime target for exploitation by the destructive international live reef fish trade. Active volcanic cones encircle tranquil Kimbe Bay on the island of New Britain. Blue-eyed cockatoos and the world’s largest moths fill the air, while bandicoots and wallabies share the landscape with one of the world’s greatest arrays of orchids. But it was the underwater world of Kimbe Bay that first attracted The Nature Conservancy in 1993. The bay had largely escaped the destruction that the live reef fish trade—with its use of cyanide and dynamite to catch prized species alive, for sale in Hong Kong’s markets—has brought to coral reefs elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Offshore coral reefs play an important role in local culture and mythology, even though they are rarely visited by islanders and biologically misunderstood. On New Britain, as in many other places, coral was commonly considered to be lifeless rock, not a fragile living organism crucial to the survival of fish and other marine life. As a result, reefs were thought to be indestructible and no premium was put on their protection. It became clear that any grassroots conservation effort would require citizen education. Teaming up with the Walindi Plantation Resort—Kimbe Bay’s primary sport diving center—the Conservancy helped establish Mahonia Na Dari (“Guardians of the Sea” in the local language). The conservation organization sponsors a marine research, conservation and education center to aid scientists and teach islanders about their ecosystems. Historically, the people of New Britain have had a limited relationship with their marine environment. Few children learn to swim, and residents of inland villages often have never seen the ocean.