Canopies of Coral
Fiji’s coral reefs house some 333 species of corals of all shapes, sizes and colors, many of which we’ve seen in Lau Province. We’ve examined many reef types, some which fringe the shore (fringing reefs), some in the center of …
Location
Sea Cucumber Craze – Part 2
Throughout the Lau Province it’s typical to find sea cucumbers drying in the sun. The dried sea cucumbers are called beche-de-mer. These sea cucumbers fetch a good price and for some islands it has become their primary source of income. …
Local Management to the ‘Reef’ Rescue
Across the world, coral reefs and fisheries are in crisis. In Fiji over the past few decades, increased demands for cash income and material goods, coupled with growing populations and access to markets, have led to substantially increased pressure on …
Inaguas and Hogsty Reef, Bahamas, Mission Team
Cay Sal, Bahamas
In March 2011, we conducted aerial assessments of Cay Sal Bank’s shallow marine habitats to collect on-site information that supports the remote sensing work that we do. The aerial surveys also allow us to obtain photographs of the landmasses and …
Restocking the Future – Part 1
For those of you who have never seen a giant clam, let me tell you they are incredible creatures. I’m intrigued by these enormous, marble-colored flesh animals. Their size alone is impressive with potential to grow up to almost 5 …
Colorful Corals
In addition to a much larger variety of corals, reefs of Lau seem to have an unusually large number of fluorescent, brightly colored corals, more than we’ve seen in past expeditions. Corals are usually light or golden brown, but some …
National Geographic Newswatch – Where are the Gambier Islands Predators
National Geographic Newswatch recently featured Living Oceans Foundation Global Reef Expedition in an article posted by Michele Westmoreland of International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP) about where are the Gambier Islands predators. Michele and iLCP joined the Global Reef Expedition …
Sea Cucumber Craze – Part 1
They have cylindrical bodies, leathery skin, and generally are peculiar looking creatures. You may or may not have noticed these slow moving animals on the bottom of the sea floor. They are sea cucumbers, and they are considered a delicacy …
Warm Fijian Welcome in Totoya
As the sun began to set on the second day of our Fiji research mission, many different colors and patterns of sulus, traditional Fijian sarongs, emerged from the M/Y Golden Shadow. The crew and scientific team were invited by Roko …