News

This month, Aranteiti Tekiau from the Coastal Fisheries research team has been working on coral reef surveys In Tarawa and Abaiang with climate scientist and Professor Simon Donner from the University of British Columbia in Canada. The surveys are part of a long-term collaboration with Prof. Donner and his students to document how Kiribati's coral reefs respond to El Nino events and climate change. The research shows that the coral reefs in the central Gilberts Group have survived recent El Nino-driven heat waves, because of the spread of a few heat-tolerant coral species. This resilience is good news but comes with a trade-off of lower coral diversity. In the future, the lower diversity could affect the rate at which the reef grows, and the habitat for other reef species. A big thank you to the Government of Canada, through the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, for funding this important work.

Understanding fisheries demographic is crucial in identifying fisheries perspectives – from the type of fishing commonly used and the most common catch that is significantly caught by fishers on the Island. The CFD team recently returned from Nikunau Island after conducting a simple biological sampling on flying fish and creel survey that aims to capture an overview of fisheries aspects on the island. The findings observed from this survey are critically important for a realistic decision-making process to ensure the sustainable harvest of coastal fisheries resources. A big thanks to the PROP for funding this research.