The magnificence of the Mariana Trench was captured in the 2016 Deepwater Exploration. The majesty of the Marianas on full display as researchers help those above water understand the deep blue. It’s part of what motivates the new superintendent for the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument Dr. Sean Macduff.

"I’d like to be a part of making sure that they are still around for us and our kids," he told KUAM News.

Macduff is the first superintendent based on Saipan. The monument protects the submerged lands and waters around the three northernmost Mariana Islands, an arc of 18 undersea volcanoes and thermal vents west of the Marianas, and the trench itself. He will also oversee the Mariana Trench National Wildlife Refuge and the Mariana Arc of Fire National Wildlife Refuge.

He said, "Each unit of the monument has unique characteristics…it is pretty interesting and worth protecting."

As a native Chamorro with more than 15 years of experience in science, Macduff says he wants to be the loudest, and like the trench, deepest advocate for the monument.

He added, "It is very abstract because it is not like a regular park that we can go visit and touch and there is no gate to open or close. So what we really try and do is bring out the stories and the learning and everything that is far away or deep and try to bring that to the attention of the communities here on Saipan."

He said, "I am from here, you know, I graduated high school here. I vote here. I’ve never voted anywhere else. And so I have a stake in this place like everyone else."