Workshopping a reef restoration toolkit for Wallis et Futuna as a model for Pacific Island nations
Role
Principal Investigator
Description
This project aims to achieve two main objectives: 1) Rapid analysis of recent mass coral bleaching and recovery in Wallis and Futuna. Utilising existing photographic data (from April 2024), we will use CoralNet point-count software to identify severely affected reef sites and assess bleaching severity and susceptibility of coral species between sites. Follow-up surveys in October 2024 will determine bleaching-related mortality and recovery progress prior to summer 2024/2025. These surveys, conducted by the Wallis and Futuna Service Territorial de l’Environnement (STE), will compare data with the April surveys. Additionally, discussions are underway with National Geographic to include a summer 2025 survey. This analysis will guide prioritisation of reefs for restoration intervention and identify resilient reefs for protection. 2) Support three representatives from the Wallis and Futuna STE to attend specialised training in Townsville, Australia in February 2025, with online preparatory training from August 2024 to February 2025. Townsville is a leading hub for reef restoration research, with state of the art facilities and leading scientists. Training will focus on participatory reef monitoring, restoration techniques, and experimental design, facilitated by collaborators at the Australian Institute of Marine Science. Activities include visits to restoration sites, training on technologies such as CoralClip, coral gardening, ReefSeed, ‘sea-weeding,’ and ReefCloud, presentations on emerging restoration methods, and workshops for adapting techniques to local contexts. Reciprocal knowledge exchange will help guide both future Australian research to be applicable for Pacific islands, as well as arm Wallisian and Futunian delegates with knowledge to develop strategies for reef monitoring and management into the future.
Date
11 Oct 2024 - 01 May 2026
Project Type
N/A
Keywords
Reef restoration;reef management;pacific islands;wallis and futuna
Funding Body
Australian-French Association for Research and Innovation (AFRAN)
Amount
6000
Project Team
Taylor Whitman