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The Inian Islands Institute, dubbed the “hobbit hole” by its residents, sits in a remote area near where the Inside Passage meets the Gulf of Alaska. This patch of land has been a hotbed of human activities for centuries; from Tlingit summer fishing camp to fox farm homestead. Now in the hands of scientists the land is used as an ecological research field camp. (Photos by Shandra Furtado/George Washington University)

“Killer whales are apex predators, the dominant animals in these waters," explains Christine West, a naturalist aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion. This means their health reflects that of the entire habitat, as pollutants at every trophic level will travel up the food web and into these organisms. By the time these impacts are visible, however, it may be too late for a simple, one-size-fits-all solution. (Mike Harris/Lindblad Expeditions)