Gregory S. Stone is Vice President for Global Marine Programs at the New England Aquarium. Dr. Stone became the driving force behind the effort to create the third largest sanctuary for marine wildlife on the planet. His vision became a reality as the Pacific Island nation of Kiribati declared its largely uninhabited Phoenix Islands a marine protected area. Physically, the preserve covers more than 184,000 square kilometers (73,800 square miles), or an area the equivalent of the Great Lakes of Superior, Michigan and Huron combined. A marine biologist, he is a specialist in undersea technology and exploration, using deep-sea submersibles, undersea habitats and SCUBA diving in all oceans of the world. He was the Senior Editor of *the International Marine Technology Society Journal* from 1997-2003, is a National Fellow of the Explorers Club and was awarded the National Science Foundation/U.S. Navy Antarctic Service medal for his research in Antarctica.