ABOUT THE EXPEDITION

The Science

Coral reefs have existed for over 500 million years. In a fraction of this time, humans have destroyed 20% of the coral reefs worldwide. The consequences of this destruction are major losses in natural beauty and biodiversity, as well as an increase in poverty. The urgent question for both conservation and human welfare is how can humans and coral reefs coexist?

To answer this question, we will travel to the last remaining pristine coral reefs and traditional Pacific Island cultures. The goals of the expedition are to:

• Document changes in coral reefs as traditional cultures transition to cash economies

• Obtain a blueprint for sustainable development

The Motivation

The 2005 Line Island Expedition showed dramatic changes in the abundance of sharks, large fishes, turtles, and healthy corals between pristine reefs and human impacted reefs. Now we want to learn:

• How can healthy reefs and people coexist?

• Is reef restoration both a good conservation strategy and a good economic development strategy?

WHAT ARE the OPTIONS for HUMANS AND CORAL REEFS?

The typical trajectory of coral reefs is not the only option. The majority of coral reefs worldwide have been over fished and polluted. Instead of being dominated by sharks, big fish, and healthy corals, these reefs have an abundance of tiny fish and algae. The people who live on these reefs find it harder to sustain themselves.

By observing how people transform reefs through economic development, we can identify alternative conservation-development strategies that could be chosen to maintain or restore reefs and also make people better off.

We predict that:

• Protection of large predators will enhance coral health

• Development of incomes that provide an alternative to fishing will reduce human impacts

• Coral reefs dominated by top predators will be more productive in terms of fish harvest and conservation value

Photo credits: HEADER © 2006 Kevin Lafferty; EXPEDITION © 2006 Sheila Walsh; OPTIONS © 2005 Mary Parrish.