Fish Findings: The Remarkable Fish Communities of Tuamotu Archipelago

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French Polynesia was one of the most magnificent countries we studied on the Global Reef Expedition. While there, we experienced first-hand some of the most beautiful coral and fish communities in the world. There are times, though, when the data …

Living Oceans Foundation scientists complete largest comprehensive study of French Polynesia’s coral reefs

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The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation is proud to release our findings from the largest coral reef survey and mapping expedition ever conducted in French Polynesia. The Global Reef Expedition: French Polynesia Final Report provides a comprehensive summary of the …

Gambier, 800 feet above sea level

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After a 3.5 hour flight on the Golden Eye, we reached Hao to begin our third research mission in French Polynesia at Gambier. Hao is a large (56 km X 15 km), low-lying coral atoll at the southeastern end of …

Celebrating Fish Diversity

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Fish communities in the Tuamotu Archipelago have been much more diverse than in Society Islands, especially on the fore reef.  The fish are not only more abundant, but they are larger overall, meaning greater biomass, which is good for reefs …

Reefs Around Rangiroa, Aratika and Raraka

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After two weeks, we’ve completed reef assessments around Rangiroa, Aratika, and Raraka and are now examining Fakarava. Tuamotu reefs are dramatically different from Society Islands.  Besides the near absence of crown of thorns seastars (we’ve seen a handful in the …

Aerial Reconn of the Tuamotus

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Our coral reef research in the Tuamotu archipelago began with an aerial survey, at an elevation of 500-1000 feet above sea level, using the Golden Eye seaplane. The Tuamotu islands constitute the largest archipelago in French Polynesia, spanning an area …