Talk to Enric Sala, National Geographic explorer-in-residence, and you’ll realize something: You’ve never seen a pristine reef. Divers use the term casually in trip reports of reefs with lots of fish, or even a shark. For Sala, 46, that’s not enough. When he founded the Pristine Seas project, he had many goals in mind, including redefining pristine.

Q: So how do you define pristine?
A: Pristine reefs are unspoiled. As soon as you jump in the water, you’ll see lots of sharks.

Q: Give us examples of such places.
A: They’re uninhabited locales like the Southern Line Islands in the Pacific and Motu Motiro Hiva off Chile.

Q: How do you pinpoint them?
A: We start with places with the weakest human impacts. If it’s remote, it’s likely to be in good shape.

Q: Why are these places so important?
A: They are the only baselines left of healthy oceans. They tell us what we have lost — and what the oceans can be if we do the right thing.

Q: Which is?
A: To connect with the local governments to preserve these places. Through National Geographic, we’re able to inspire leaders through stories and images, and working with our partners we provide data about why these areas are pristine. We give an economic analysis of why these areas really need to be protected. One huge problem is that people think it’s OK to allow some fishing in protected areas. Protected areas that allow fishing aren’t really protected, are they?

Q: Who’s doing it right?
A: A great example is Cabo Pulmo, Mexico. The government set up a national park, but it’s the locals who enforce the rules. When it comes to the recovery of fish, they are the most successful on the planet. The fact that it’s difficult shouldn’t be an excuse.

Q: Any advice for readers?
A: Yeah. Eat more vegetables.

Want to get involved? Sign up for marine-debris and shark-conservation ventures at projectaware.org