19 years old Gloria Cruz of Guam stands on our podium of Top 10 favourites. Promoting her country’s natural beauty, Gloria shares her environmental advocacy and says, “My environmental advocacy is the preservation of our coral reefs. Our coral reefs act as barrier for our coastlines, they protect us from wave attacks and erosion, they provide a habitat for one quarter or marine life, and are a food source for our population. Coral reefs are a vital ecosystem for marine life. Roughly 75% of the world’s reefs are being threatened from over fishing, warming waters, and pollution. In the Pacific our reefs are threatened by climate change, over-fishing, sedimentation, land based pollution, and bleaching. I chose this because Guam is surrounded by coral reefs. They are a vital sustenance for island living, they are critical for marine life survivability, and the protection of our island and it’s environment.”