Climate Action Fiji Project #57059

Reefs of Hope South Pacific Expansion

by Corals for Conservation

Project Report | Nov 15, 2024
CORALS SUPPORT SEA LIFE IN REMOTE SOUTH PACIFIC

By Nancy Clark | GlobalGiving Project Leader

Robert speaks for oceans as our youth ambassador

Leona Kustra photo

Note from Project Scientist Austin:

I am working hard at keeping things going administratively and in the field here in Fiji and the South Pacific. At the moment I am in the throes of writing a major regional proposal. I will finally return to the Christmas Atoll site in Kiribati on the 26th Nov, not visited since COVID, stopping for a week on my way to present at Reef Futures in Cancun. Fortunately, my travel and conference costs will be covered by Southern Cross Cable and the Coral Restoration Consortium.

Last week we were on Australian TV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6SkbcYs2YY BBC Earth also posted the link to our corals growing back in 2009. It is going viral, with 64K views in the first eight days. The inside story is that all of these corals died in the 2014 bleaching, but that event was what caused me to face reality and begin focusing on securing and growing heat- adapted corals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR7BObzJ5ZI&t=80s

Our hard working volunteer in Washington State, Nancy Clark has helped me by putting this report together, giving the inside story on some of the great work our volunteers and partners are doing. Thanks to Nancy and again to you for your continuing support!

Austin

Nancy's Report: As all grassroots GlobalGiving organizations enter the Thanksgiving Season, Corals for Conservation wishes to pause and not only thank you, but also to take a moment to share the contributions from two of our special members. All of our members, without exception, possess a passion for preserving coral reef habitat. Many of our members come with an existing knowledge of what conditions help reefs thrive. We're becoming increasingly aware that our loyal supporters either have careers which mirror their devotion to saving ocean biodiversity or have stepped forward by publication, photography, voicing concerns and asking questions on social media and even speaking on our behalf at world climate conferences -- in other words, they are much appreciated environmental activists!

Meet Robert from Ontario Canada, who has earned the title of Youth Ambassador for Corals for Conservation/ Reefs of Hope. Robert began interviewing scientists engaged in research to help slow the frightening pace of Global Warming during the Covid global pandemic. He used this period of isolation as a time to educate himself and so many others through his interviews posted on Children's Climate Championship. Yes, he even interviewed C4C founder and lead corals scientist Austin Bowden-Kerby, Phd. about why it was necessary to diverge from restocking and replanting coral reefs to a strategy of identifying heat-resistant corals and moving them to cooler waters.

Here's Robert inviting organizations to make a place for youth voices at the emergency climate conference COP16 held in October at Cali, Columbia South America.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e_srxRRdok

You'll hear in this Ocean Day COP16 interview that a protected marine area the size of the UK needs to be set aside daily to reach treaty goals. At the current pace, it would take around 80 years. This is unacceptable for saving the high seas breeding grounds and coral reefs. Less than 3% of the ocean is now protected from human activity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I84b5sdFEwg

As the youngest convention delegate who actively gained country signatures at the treaty -- 60 needed for ratification with only 13 having signed on prior -- Robert was invited to speak at the final plenary session. Robert approached delegates and as the week ended 44 had signed. Robert understands the complex problems and speaks out to help unify the world in raising $700 billion needed yearly to act now before it's too late.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxpvIiJQD34

Leona Kustra, a Canadian from British Columbia, had visited the South Pacific before the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea last year where she photographed many species of reef inhabitants. She had the opportunity to co-edit and contributed photos to a new “Field guide to fishes of the Coral Sea Marine Park, Queensland, Australia”. Now she and her husband Dave are traveling from Kiribati on the equator, one of the remotest parts of the planet, with stops in Hawaii, Fiji, Tonga, the Cook Islands and French Polynesia. She is equipped with GPS and cameras. Her (very amateur) underwater photography contributes to documenting reef health through iNaturalist. Leona will also scope out possible contacts in the French Polynesia for C4C to expand community involvement in the UNESCO recognized Reefs of Hope program with guidelines set and supervised by Austin and field trained indigenous people often with marine academic background.

Field Notes from Leona:

Sadly my camera ran out of batteries underwater before we met the two lovely Fijian girls on Dravuni Island. I will try to get you some great underwater pictures today from “Split Rock” near Savusavu – the coral and fish there were amazing! It's funny, we saw a green sea turtle in the coral near the tip of Dravuni Island and once he saw us, he scurried off so quickly. I’m not sure we’ve ever seen a turtle move so fast. Later when talking to Esther and Hope, they mentioned they eat sea turtles. I guess that’s why that poor turtle was so skittish!

Leona Kustra Regal Angelfishes

Leona Kustra Orangestripe Triggerfish Fiji

Leona Kustra Princess Damsel Fiji

Leona Kustra Orangefin Anemonefish

Leona Kustra Raccoon Butterfly fish with Angelfish

Leona Kustra Split Rock reef Fiji

Leona with Austin in Suva, Fiji

Harlequin Filefish in Tonga new species for Leona

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