Stephanie Moura, ocean policy manager

The SciCom Interviews, April 2013

Off the coast of New England, a telecommunications company digs trenches for new cable lines. Four years ago, the path of the dig would be a cost-efficient straight line through a vulnerable seafloor ecosystem. Now, thanks to new state policies in Massachusetts, the company is paying more for rerouted cables — but worrying less about lengthy approvals and backlash from environmentalists.