The ceremonial village of Orongo on the island of Rapa Nui with petroglyphs of the bird men, known as “tangata manu”, in the foreground and the islets of Motu Iti, Motu Nui, and Motu Kao-Kao in the background. Photo credit: Elena Kouneski Rapu. This photo is part of a publication in Marine Policy, co-authored by Middlebury Institute graduate Emily Stokes (MAIEP/OCRM May 2022). This article is the culmination of her 2021 Center for the Blue Economy Summer Fellowship.