• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Sea of Change Foundation

Sea of Change

Leading through Education & Conservation

Yellow Fish

100% of Your Donation Goes to Conservation
$255,202 Donated

  • About
    • Mission
    • Board of Directors
    • Leadership
    • Board of Advisors
    • Lifetime Explorer Awards
    • Partners
  • Conservation
    • Coral Reefs: Restoration & Resilience
    • Ocean Pollution: Public Awareness & Action
    • Threatened Species & Habitats
  • Grants
  • Scholarships & Internships
    • Citizen Science
    • Sea of Change Foundation Scholarship Program
    • Past Scholarships
    • Internships
  • Sustainable Choices
    • Refuse, Reduce, Re-use Single-Use Plastics
    • Choose Sustainable Seafood
    • Choose Safe & Sustainable Sun Protection
  • Media Room
    • News & Press
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Our Brochure
    • Blog

The Northern Reef Project Palau

Conservation Priorities

Threatened Species & Habitats – The Northern Reef Project Palau

The Northern Reef Project is home to some of Palau’s most productive fishing grounds and encompasses a total of 3,930 Km2 of territorial waters pertaining to the states of Kayangel and Ngarchelong. Its waters include important habitats of coral reef systems, barrier reef, patch reefs, sea grass, nesting beaches, unique atoll forests; and offer spawning and aggregation sites for nationally protected fish species and breeding areas for seabirds among other species. Given the decline in fisheries, both states have recently established marine law enforcement programs to reverse trends and protect their near shore territorial waters (12NM).

WildAid in cooperation with the Nature Conservancy recently designed an enforcement system for the Northern Reef project that is practical, affordable and feasible to implement over a four-year timeframe. Our strategy combines high-power video cameras and a robust VHF marine radio network with the strategic placement of buoys, patrol vessels and a floating barge to provide a
constant presence and fast response capacity throughout both Marine Managed Areas (MMAs). A recent critical first step has entailed the establishment of the VHF marine radio network: the core of enforcement operations. The network does not only link the control center with patrol vessels and Ranger at ports, but also holds potential for linking tourism operators and fishers into the control and vigilance system over time.

With the support of the Sea of Change Foundation, we will strengthen the enforcement of the Northern Reefs area via the following two activities:

  1. Setting up a control center for enforcement operations at Todai; and
  2. Installation of a high-power video camera at Todai to provide 10NM coverage as illustrated above.

The video camera provides coverage of key access waterways for vessels traveling into Northern Reef territorial waters. Once a vessel is detected, the control center can inform Rangers that are moored at any one of the four proposed buoys throughout the NMMA for interdiction. Ideally, the patrol vessel can intercept the vessels without having to travel a long distance from the buoy. Four moorings were chosen based on bathymetry and the strategic location of Ebiil, spawning aggregations and territorial boundaries.

Read More . . .
2016 Update: WildAid Interim Report
PDF>

Click to View the details of this important project supported by your donations.
PDF>

A New approach to Marine Reserve Enforcement Dive Observer by Gene Gentrup

PDF>


Primary Sidebar

Shark Week 2022– How Should We Think About Sharks?

By Megan Hoover, Sea of Change Foundation Intern Samantha Whitcraft, Sea of Change Foundation, Executive Director             It’s that time of year again when Shark Week commercials promoting documentaries and shows on Discovery Channel and National Geographic begin. This year is the 34th anniversary of Shark Week, and both Discovery Channel and National Geographic have […]

Recent Posts

  • Shark Week 2022– How Should We Think About Sharks?
  • Welcome Our 2022 SOC Intern; Megan Hoover
  • Creature Feature: Beluga Whale
  • We’re in this TOGETHER. Here’s some at-home education resources
  • SOC Supports Shark Allies and Shark Conservation in Florida

Archives

  • July 2022
  • June 2021
  • April 2020
  • December 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • October 2018
  • September 2018

Follow Us

Enews Sign-up

Footer

Sea of Change Foundation
209 Hudson Trace, Augusta, GA 30907
+1-706-737-7687 thankyou@seaofchange.com

Copyright © 2023 Sea of Change Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
Website Design by Armand Creative.