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Perhaps a silver lining can be found in the political tensions between the United States and Cuba. Due to travel and research restrictions, a fragile and ancient ecosystem has been preserved. An underwater landscape has remained intact and many native species, extinct in all other areas, exist and flourish in their natural and historical state. American scientists and travelers have been denied access to this wide-ranging coral reef system, which is one of the largest in its hemisphere. Hundreds of islands, bordered by small beaches and extensive stands of red mangrove, lay off of central Cuba’s southern coast. This area was first named Los Jardines de la Reina (“The Queen’s Gardens”) by Chirstopher Columbus, and five centuries later it still remains relatively untouched or altered. There are no towns, roads, or any permanent human habitation on any island.

Gardens of pristine coral grow healthy under these waters, and after the Cuban government’s decision to ban fishing along the 386 square mile island area in 1997, these island chains now make up the largest marine reserve in the Caribbean. Only several hundred divers visit these underwater forests per year, although now a new marine research partnership between Cuba and the United States will open up this remote place to more activity. David Guggenheim is an America Scientist with the Ocean Foundation who has partnered with Cuban marine biologists to explore and study the rare species that populate this coral community. It is a chance for scientists to travel back in time and study a marine environment untouched by human pollution, fishing, and fertilizer runoff. The species that inhabit these waters are large in size, and the scientists have only known they have existed through photographs in old books. The shark population is massive, as is the sea turtle and saltwater crocodile numbers.

The small group of scientists studying in this area is working against the clock. As Congress begins the push to end U.S. travel restrictions to Cuba, the fate of these uninhabited islands and underwater gardens looks grim. The remote and inaccessible habitat will be easily damaged if fishing and tourism are suddenly permitted. The sharks that patrol these seas are extremely friendly, as are most of the other species; they would easily be fished out or killed if access is made available.

The words of Dave Guggenheim capture the unique opportunity and great paradox Los Jardines del la Reina presents: “It’s really a time machine here in Cuba. And we’ve got another chance to look at these reefs the way they used to be. It’s almost as if someone’s telling us: OK guys, you’ve got one more chance to get this right. Look around, see what it’s supposed to look like, protect this, and use these lessons to protect everything else that you’ve screwed up over the years.”

To learn more listen to the story on NPR’s podcast