Tonga

A Leap in Time for the Ocean – A guest blog from our partners at the Vava’u Environmental Protection Association

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In Tonga, there has been lots of effort between communities, government, national, and international partners to implement ocean management programs that aim to restore and conserve marine species and the marine habitats as well as provide livelihood benefits.

Our partners at the Vava’u Environmental Protection Association (VEPA), have continued to focus on awareness and community programs, supporting the launch of the Vava’u Ocean Initiative in 2017 with the Waitt Institute, Department of Environment, Ministry of Fisheries and Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to further support ocean management and conservation programs. Through this partnership, VEPA supported the development and implementation of 7 Specially Managed Areas (SMAs) in Vava’u and the national consultations for marine spatial planning (MSP) alongside Government partners.

Making the Grade: How we grade coral reefs

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The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation recently published our findings on the health and resilience of the coral reefs in the Kingdom of Tonga. The report includes a unique grading scale we developed to indicate the relative health and resilience of the reef. For each survey site we visited in Tonga, we assessed the benthic community and classified the reef as being in “good,” moderate,” or “poor” condition.

This assessment was based on the overall live coral cover, algae, and invertebrate composition of the reef.

Global Reef Expedition: Findings from the Kingdom of Tonga

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The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation has published our findings from extensive coral reef surveys conducted in the Kingdom of Tonga. Released today, the Global Reef Expedition: Kingdom of Tonga Final Report contains critical information on the health and resiliency …

Global Reef Expedition: Kingdom of Tonga Final Report

The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation embarked on the Global Reef Expedition—the largest coral reef survey and mapping expedition in history—to study the coral reef crisis on a global scale. As part of the 5-year expedition, an international team …

Living Oceans Foundation Completes Global Coral Reef Atlas

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The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation has completed the World Reef Map, an online interactive coral reef atlas that allows users to explore all of the coral reefs and shallow water marine habitats mapped on the Global Reef Expedition. With over 65,000 square kilometers of shallow water marine ecosystems mapped, this is by far the largest collection of high-resolution coral reef maps ever made.

Tonga Coral Education Program

Check out these photos of our recent trip to Tonga for the Foundation’s Tonga Coral Education Program, the precious students who participated and some local Tongan culture . During this trip, we delved into education research, a first for the Foundation. As part of this …

Why Should We Care About Coral Reefs?

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Tonga Coral Education Program Blog (from October 30, 2015) Our trip has ended and it’s time to make the long journey half way across the world. Looking back, it has been an amazing trip to Tonga. We have collected follow-up …

Spring has Sprung!

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Tonga Coral Education Program (from October 26, 2015) As the Foundation’s education team left Maryland, fall was settling over the area in its rich orange and yellow hues.  Crossing over the International Dateline and the equator on our way to Tonga, …