The People

Astrophysical observatory in Sunspot, New Mexico, home to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey 2.5-meter telescope.

UNESCO World Heritage marine sanctuary in the Sulu Sea of the Philippines sheltering pristine coral atolls.

Historic Caltech observatory in southern California operating the famous 200-inch Hale Telescope.

The world's largest marine protected area, safeguarding fragile Antarctic polar ecosystems and toothfish habitats.

He was a mathematician who co-discovered the Atiyah-Singer index theorem connecting topology, geometry, and analysis, winning the Abel Prize.

Largest underground research center in the world, located beneath the Gran Sasso massif in Italy for dark matter and neutrino research.

She is a mathematician who solved the sphere-packing problem in dimensions 8 and 24, winning the Fields Medal.

Vast fully protected marine reserve in Mexico protecting giant oceanic manta rays and volcanic islands.

Vast conservation reserve encompassing the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, one of the largest marine protected areas in the world.

He is a mathematician who played a foundational role in the development of wavelet theory, winning the Abel Prize.

Expansive marine park spanning the entire exclusive economic zone of the Cook Islands.

Oceanic volcanic sanctuary in Colombia protecting critical Pacific pelagic aggregations and marine corridors.

Deep-sea research infrastructure in the Mediterranean Sea hosting the next-generation underwater neutrino telescope.

He is a mathematician who made groundbreaking contributions to topology, dynamical systems, and algebraic structures, winning the Abel Prize.

Historic cradle of Swiss high horology and watchmaking complications located in the Jura Vaudois of Switzerland. Population: ~7,000.

Historic music box, mechanical automata, and precision engineering center located in Vaud, Switzerland. Population: ~5,000.

Underground physics facility located in the Aragonese Pyrenees, Spain, conducting low-background dark matter searches.

Deep underground science facility located in a working polyhalite and salt mine on the North Yorkshire coast, UK.

He is a mathematician who proved Szemerédi's theorem on arithmetic progressions and the regularity lemma, winning the Abel Prize.

Renowned alpine climatic resort and winter sports destination located in the Schanfigg Valley of Switzerland. Population: ~3,100.

UNESCO Biosphere reserve alpine valley community home to the Benedictine Convent of Saint John in Graubünden, Switzerland. Population: ~1,400.

He is a mathematician who made foundational contributions to partial differential equations, fluid dynamics, and shock waves, winning the Abel Prize.

Oceanic island national park in Costa Rica renowned for pelagic hammerhead shark and marine biodiversity conservation.

Historic observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, home to the world's largest refracting telescope.