Global Reef Expedition Says Goodbye to Papeete

Goodbye to Papeete

Before leaving Papeete we took an evening to share some of our initial research findings with local scientists, representatives of our partner organizations, and government officials. A full analysis of all the data we gathered will take months but we have seen some observable trends during our field work.

Dr Andy Bruckner gives a scientific update with French translation by Clare Pasdelou as Global Reef Expedition says goodbye to Papeete.

We displayed images from some of the remote sites we have surveyed during our field research and were delighted that the French Polynesian Minister for Education, Tauhiti Nena, came to encourage us on our continued scientific journey. It was a great way to say goodbye to Papeete.

KSLOF Executive Director Philip Renaud and Minister for Education Tauhiti Nena

Photos by 1 Michele Westmorland, 2 and 3 KSLOF

World Oceans Day: Protecting the Ecosystems That Protect Us

This World Oceans Day, the global community is being challenged to think differently about the ocean.

The 2026 World Oceans Day theme, “Reimagine: Beyond the World We Know, A New Relationship With Our Ocean,” invites us to recognize that the ocean is not something distant or separate from our lives. It regulates our climate, supports our economies, provides food for billions of people, and sustains the natural systems that make life on Earth possible.

Few places illustrate this connection more clearly than the coastal ecosystems that protect our shores and support marine life. While coral reefs, mangrove forests, and seagrass meadows are often…

After the Storm: Standing with Our J.A.M.I.N. Family in Jamaica

There are moments in this work that feel heartbreakingly familiar.

Two weeks after we completed our Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.A.M.I.N.) programming, Hurricane Melissa made landfall. A powerful Category 5 hurricane, Melissa is now tied with Hurricane Allen in 1980 for the strongest winds ever recorded in an Atlantic storm. Like Hurricane Dorian, which devastated The Bahamas in 2019, Melissa will be remembered as one of the strongest hurricanes on record in the region.

For 11 years, the University of the West Indies Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory and William Knibb Memorial High School have been more than program partners. They have welcomed us into their classrooms and labs, shared meals and laughter, and committed themselves to educating their students about mangroves and coastal resilience. These colleagues and students are not distant collaborators. They are family.

And they were hit hard…

Goodbye to Papeete

Related Posts

World Oceans Day: Protecting the Ecosystems That Protect Us

After the Storm: Standing with Our J.A.M.I.N. Family in Jamaica