Prior to the November 2013 Pristine Seas expedition, the remote coral islands and the atolls of New Caledonia in the South Pacific's Coral Sea had barely been explored. Over the course of the three-week expedition, the team used cutting-edge technology such as closed-circuit rebreathers and a remotely operated vehicle to explore the islands’ marine environment.
In 2014, the government of New Caledonia announced its intention to create an EEZ-wide marine park with zones for different activities, including no-take marine reserves.