On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we recognize the invaluable contributions that Indigenous communities have made to marine conservation worldwide. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Pacific Islands, where for millennia, communities have practiced sustainable marine management through traditional systems
On September 25, 2024, world leaders, experts, and stakeholders gathered at the United Nations in New York for a pivotal High-Level Plenary Meeting on Sea Level Rise (SLR). The meeting was convened in response to the growing existential threat posed
Coral reef bleaching has been in the headline news this past summer, as it was the hottest three-month period on record. As ocean temperatures soared to 32°C (90°F) around the Florida Keys and the Caribbean, coral reefs were way past
One sign of a recovering reef is coral recruitment, and thankfully it was abundant during the field surveys in Beqa Lagoon. On the fringing reef surrounding Rukua village, hundreds of small branching and boulder corals can be seen successfully growing
A key component of the United Nations Endorsed Project Science Without Borders®: Conserving the Tropics is outreach and community engagement. During the joint outreach and fieldwork campaign with the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (KSLOF) and Pacific Blue Foundation
The reefs surrounding the Beqa Lagoon in Fiji have endured many events that threaten their ability to survive, including bleaching events, crown-of-thorns outbreaks, and cyclone damage. These reefs are incredibly important to the people of the region, and to save
The Lau Seascape Initiative (LSI) is a program that focuses on the conservation and protection of marine ecosystem resources in the Lau region of Fiji. With multiple stresses such as climate change and overharvesting of coastal fisheries, the Indigenous peoples
As the sun begins to set and the lagoonal waters are calm, I begin to smell the strong aroma of burning coconut husks and leaves as we approach the beach near the village Rukua on Beqa Island. The Pacific Blue
Bula! My name is Ulamila Matairakula and I am the Environmental Officer for the Pacific Blue Foundation (PBF). My work largely revolves around the Beqa Lagoon Seascape with interacting with local communities and villages about their marine resources. Being a Fijian
The Science Without Borders®: Conserving the Tropics project was developed by the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation to help address the United Nations Ocean Decade Challenge to “understand the effects of multiple stressors on ocean ecosystems, and develop solutions
