Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation
Providing science-based solutions to protect and restore ocean health
As a marine scientist, visiting the Kingdom of Tonga to study the coral reefs was a treat. We observed so many beautiful marine animals and habitats that were unlike anywhere else on the Global Reef Expedition. One of my favorite sites was in Vava’u where there were massive Porites corals the size of cars that dwarfed the divers. It was incredible.
However, what I found most surprising was the fish communities.
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.
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.
While our scientists were hard at work studying the Kingdom of Tonga’s coral reefs on the Global Reef Expedition, the education team was on land teaching students and communities about this valuable ecosystem and what they can do to protect it. In return, we learned valuable local knowledge from the communities and the people of Tonga.
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 …
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 …
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.
The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation worked with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to inform marine spatial planning in Fiji, Tonga, and the Solomon Islands using data collected on the Global Reef Expedition. In many small …
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 …
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 …
