(Photograph by Thomas P. Peschak, National Geographic Creative)
A beautiful, but deadly, lionfish swims in the India Ocean in the Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve, a 678-square-kilometer area that was created by the Mozambique government in 2009. The reserve is an important nesting area for the endangered leatherback sea turtle, the largest turtle in the world. The marine reserve abuts the iSimangaliso Wetland Park in South Africa, together forming one of Africa’s first transnational conservation areas. This photograph was taken by Thomas P. Peschak, a marine biologist and environmental photographer, who is director of conservation for the Save Our Seas Foundation and founding associate director for the Manta Trust.
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