Donate
Give
search-icon
A Fond Farewell

The Golden Shadow arrived in Papeete, French Polynesia back in July 2012 and for the past eight months it has been our home, but we said goodbye to Papeete last week as we started our final research expedition in the Austral islands. We will spend the next 2 weeks surveying in the Austral Islands and from there we will not return to Papeete, but instead sail out of French Polynesia and into the Cook islands.

 

M/Y Golden Shadow says farewell to Papeete
M/Y Golden Shadow

Goodbye to Papeete

Before leaving Papeete we took an evening to share some of our initial research findings with local scientists, representatives of our partner organizations, and government officials. A full analysis of all the data we gathered will take months but we have seen some observable trends during our field work.

 

Dr Andy Bruckner gives a scientific update with French translation by Clare Pasdelou as Global Reef Expedition says goodbye to Papeete.
Dr Andy Bruckner gives a scientific update with French translation by Clare Pasdelou as Global Reef Expedition says goodbye to Papeete.

 

We displayed images from some of the remote sites we have surveyed during our field research and were delighted that the French Polynesian Minister for Education, Tauhiti Nena, came to encourage us on our continued scientific journey. It was a great way to say goodbye to Papeete.

KSLOF Executive Director Philip Renaud and Minister for Education Tauhiti Nena
KSLOF Executive Director Philip Renaud and Minister for Education Tauhiti Nena

Photos by 1 Michele Westmorland, 2 and 3 KSLOF

Related Posts

2025-2026 B.A.M. Student Voices

Throughout the Bahamas Awareness of Mangroves (B.A.M.) and Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.A.M.I.N.) programs, we evaluate each phase of the mangrove education and restoration process to better understand how students are learning, growing, and connecting with their coastal environments.

Before the programs begin, students share what they already know about mangroves and how they feel about them. As the program progresses, we continue to gather feedback to see how their knowledge evolves from identifying mangrove species and understanding food webs to recognizing the role mangroves play in coastal protection and climate change mitigation.

But the surveys go beyond science content.

We also ask students…

Read More

Ten Years of B.A.M.: Rooted in Partnership, Growing in Purpose

Ten years ago, the Bahamas Awareness of Mangroves (B.A.M.) program began with a simple but meaningful commitment: to connect Bahamian students with the mangrove ecosystems that shape and protect their island home.

Since 2015, B.A.M. has been implemented in partnership with Friends of the Environment, whose dedication to environmental stewardship in Abaco has made this program possible year after year. Together, we have worked alongside Patrick J. Bethel High School and Forest Heights Academy to bring hands-on mangrove science into classrooms and out into the field.

What makes ten years remarkable is not just longevity — it is consistency…

Read More