Palau's coral reefs found to have high coral cover

Palau’s coral reefs found to have high coral cover

[2020]

The USA Today Network published a story in the Pacific Daily News about the high coral cover we found in Palau on the Global Reef Expedition.

Guam Pacific Daily News
USA Today Network
October 24, 2020

Researchers discovered Palau’s reefs have among the highest amount of live coral across ecosystems worldwide, according to the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation.

Over the course of five years, researchers circumnavigated the globe, collecting baseline data on coral reefs. In 2015, the Global Reef Expedition, a research mission that assesses the health and resiliency of coral reefs around the world, came to Palau.

An international team of scientists and local experts spent a month surveying coral reefs across the country. They conducted over 1,800 standardized surveys of the benthic and fish communities on coral reefs in Palau, according to a news release.

Robust reefs

The average live coral cover recorded in Palau was over 45% and reached up to 70% in some marine protected areas.

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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…

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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…

Robust reefs

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