The president of Seychelles called for global marine protection while he was deep beneath the surface of the Indian Ocean

(Image credit: Screenshot/AP)

last updated 14 April 2019

Setting can go a long way.

The president of the Seychelles, Danny Faure, delivered a "striking" speech on Sunday, calling for global action toward protecting the Earth's oceans. The Seychelles and other small island nations are considered among the most vulnerable places in the world as they face the threat of rising sea levels caused by climate change. "This issue is bigger than all of us, and we cannot wait for the next generation to solve it," he said. "We are running out of excuses to not take action, and running out of time."

But Faure's speech was also notable for its location — he was deep beneath the ocean's surface in a submersible watercraft in the water off the coast of Desroches, one of the islands that makes up the Seychelles archipelago. Faure spoke during a visit to a British-led expedition which is exploring the depths of the Indian Ocean. The data from the mission will, per The Associated Press, help the Seychelles expand its policy of protecting almost a third of its national waters by 2020.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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