The Waitt Foundation, in conjunction with National Geographic’s Pristine Seas program, conducted an expedition in Gabon in order to inform the government on ocean conditions and to work towards extension of land based Protected Areas into marine spaces. We worked with National Geographic Explorers in Residence, Enric Sala and Mike Fay. The culmination of the expedition was a visit from the President of Gabon, whom we were able to put in the driver’s seat of our Remote Operated Vehicle. This expedition directly led to the opening of a dialog that has led to the creation of Marine Protected Areas.