<p>A California sea lion hunts for fish on a kelp paddy at Cortes Bank, a seamount off San Diego. It’s a trove of marine life that deserves protection, conservationists say. <i>This photo originally published in “<a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/saving-our-seas-president-obama-oceans-conservation">Why It’s Important to Save Our Seas’ Pristine Places</a>.”</i></p>

A California sea lion hunts for fish on a kelp paddy at Cortes Bank, a seamount off San Diego. It’s a trove of marine life that deserves protection, conservationists say. This photo originally published in “Why It’s Important to Save Our Seas’ Pristine Places.”

Photograph by Brian Skerry

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