Maritime Southeast Asia is a cluster of small and large islands that sit between the Indian and Pacific oceans. Historically part of the East Indies and contemporary known as the Malay Archipelago, the area has some of the world’s highest levels of biodiversity for marine ecosystems. Here, coral, fish and molluscs thrive. Yet, perhaps the prevailing characteristic is the maritime-based cultures that are represented by the nations of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore. All of this makes for a unique archipelagic neighbourhood with its own distinct geopolitical needs.