Over the past two weeks we’ve been meeting up with local leaders and fishers of the Vava’u island group in Tonga. The shallow-water reefs and lagoons surrounding the islands provide a vital source of protein for local people. The sharing
Written by Toni Saul It is early morning as we make our way on circuitous dirt and pothole roads, dodging a menagerie of farm animals from the tiniest piglet to unbridled horses and cows. We petition friendly locals for fine-tuned
Today as the sun came up we made our way to the west side of the Vava’u archipelago. After about twenty minutes in the car we reached the small town of Koloa and turned down a narrow track that petered
The Tonga fishers of Vava’u have recently come together to form a fishing association. As part of this effort, the fisheries department in Tonga agreed to give the fishing organization a building next to the government fisheries office. And this
We are thrilled to send you this update! We’ve been pretty quiet over the last few months as we’ve been hunkered down crunching data from previous research expeditions. However, we’re in the field now and ready to send blogs and
Living Oceans Marine Education Team Promotes Coral Conservation From September 10th to October 3rd 2013, we were working in Tonga. In addition to underwater research, marine education about coral conservation was a large part of our mission there and we teamed up
In Tonga, people are dependent on the land and sea for food and it’s a way to make money for their families. Agriculture and fishing form the primary basis for Tongan livelihood. Handicrafts, pumpkins, fish, and vanilla are the main
While visiting the island Ha’ano in Tonga, I was told a Tongan legend of the abundant skipjack tuna that visit the shallow waters near Ha’ano every year. It wasn’t until later that I learned that there was a story behind
Mangroves are unique trees that grow in intertidal areas of subtropical and tropical regions. They are highly specialized in adapting to distinctive environmental conditions they occupy. For instance, some mangroves are able to absorb seawater from the ocean and expel
Today was our last day surveying and conducting education programs in the Niuas. It has been a successful journey, but now we are headed back to mainland Tonga – a 27 hour transit. Traditionally in Tonga, vessels were a means
