World Oceans Day - 8th June

With healthy oceans comes a healthy planet, so today is a day to take action and learn how to conserve, preserve and protect our oceans.

Oceans account for about 71% of the Earth’s surface, and approximately 97% of Earth’s surface water. Aside from simply taking up the majority of the Earth’s surface, the oceans (Pacific, Atlantic, Antarctic, Arctic, and Indian) have massive impacts on everything that occurs on the planet, from influencing climate, holding a large share of the planets biodiversity – with over 230,000 known species residing in it -- and providing humans with an abundance of resources necessary for life, from energy, to food, to transportation.

Here in Vava'u, one of the most important ecosystems we are striving to protect is the coral reefs. Coral reefs are masses of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) composed of skeletons of tiny, colonial marine organisms. They form in tropical and subtropical areas of the world and act as a means of helping to stop shoreline erosion through absorbing wave energy. Their rigid, complex framework, on which a variety of creatures and structures thrive (such as anemones, sponges, hydroids, and other sessile invertebrates) are regions of high primary productivity, making them excellent hosts of biodiversity, habitat availability, and food sources.

Mangrove forests are another ecosystem that are abundant in Vava'u. They are series of trees along muddy shorelines with root systems that curve upwards to obtain oxygen and nutrients that are lacking in the mud of which they grow. Their root systems and foliage provide habitats for a variety of coastal creatures; as well, their strong root system stabilizes shorelines against storm surges and oceanic changes, filters pollutants, and slows surface runoff.

Biodiversity loss is a major issue that our coastal and marine ecosystems are facing today. This loss is attributed to climate change and sea temperature rise, rubbish impacting species food systems, as well as things such as overfishing and over harvesting. With this loss of biodiversity, ecosystems are less able to produce and maintain primary and secondary production, which effects all levels of the food chain. Additionally, ecosystems are less able to adequately withstand natural occurring disturbances, since they are left smaller and more vulnerable. Decreasing biodiversity affects all stages of an organism’s lifecycle, as it reduces habitats used for nurseries and limits potential habitats for species when they become fully grown. Biodiversity helps to filter and detoxify marine and coastal ecosystems, without which can lead to algae blooms and dead zones, making life for other organisms almost impossible. In Vava'u biodiversity is essential for both fishing and tourism, as local people rely on oceans and its products to stimulate the communities and the local economy. You can help to maintain the biodiversity of our oceans by making sure rubbish ends up in bins, using cloth bags instead of plastic bags, keeping fishing and gleaning practices within sustainable levels (not overfishing), removing old fishing lines or aquaculture structures, and walking or biking instead of driving to reduce emissions which contribute to sea temperature increase.

One of Vava'u's treasures is its humpback whale migration season from mid-July to October. Because of this, it is vital that we work to keep our oceans clean and healthy, so that these creatures have a home to give birth and feed before heading back to the Antarctic for the summer. Whales exist as a keystone species in marine ecosystems, therefore threats to their populations effect other populations, as everything in an ecosystem is connected via the food web and carbon cycle. Whales enhance ecosystems through a top-down trophic cascade. The iron and other nutrients they defecate stimulates primary productivity, thereby enhancing krill and other fish productivity. Whales keep our fish populations thriving, so we need to help them by providing a healthy home for them and their young. 

One of the easiest ways to help the oceans is to challenge yourself to go plastic free! It is estimated that 90% of the rubbish in the ocean (specifically in the infamous "garbage patches" floating in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans) is plastic that cannot degrade, and therefore either accumulates or is ingested by marine organisms. Going plastic free as often as possible can help to reduce the impact that it has on ecosystems and their inhabitants!

HUMPBACK HIGHLIGHTS (Protect our Pacific Whales)

• Megaptera novaeangliae
• The South Pacific (Oceania) population remains on the IUCN Red List for endangered species
• Humpback whales live an average of 50 years
• They can grow up to 18 m long, with females being typically larger than males 
• Newborns are on average 4.5 m long
• Species of baleen whale 
• Distinct attributes of these whales are their breaching and slapping of the water

Join in on programs in your area to support the health and biodiversity of your ocean! Our activities take place this upcoming Saturday 11th June, when we will engage youth members in their coral reefs. Our event is sponsored by the Waitt Foundation with the use of the vessel WhaleSong from Jones Business Services

Blog 1: Our Ocean's 2016

Through a grant provided by the Waitt Foundation of California, the OUR OCEAN 2016 project  will aim to increase community capacity and understanding  of marine ecosystems and the benefits of  marine protected and community managed areas for marine ecosystems

During our 12 month project, we will launch an island-wide Community Awareness Program. This program will provide education and about coral reef ecosystems, including ecosystems functions, threats faced and how they impact livelihoods and socio economic development, and marine management techniques such as community managed areas, marine protected areas and aquaculture programs that strengthen alternative income generation schemes.

Our community awareness team will also continue their program in 12 schools, 6 Government Primary Schools and 6 Secondary Schools, on the topics of  “Mangroves and Shoreline” and “Oceans and Reefs”.

We will also highlight successful community management programs such as the Fisheries Special Management Areas (SMAs).  Ovaka was the first SMA established in Vava’u and derives its success from the strength of the community committee that manages the coastal waters surrounding Ovaka. We will use this case study will be used to highlight the progress of the SMA and the commitments made by both Fisheries and communities. We hope this case study will assist other communities in their SMA process.

Other activities under the program include ocean themed events, habitat mapping and design of resource materials such as posters that will assist people and highlight the information gathered from this project. 

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for regular updates.

Feeling hot hot hot

and yes not just us humans, but again our corals are under thermal stress  with hot ocean water temperatures over a prolonged period of time. Other environmental issues that can cause coral bleaching is run off and pollution, extreme low tides which can cause an excessive amount of sunlight on the corals.

Just last week on a survey we noticed corals paling and bleaching in shallow waters on the reef flats and following on from the bleaching event recorded in February through April 2014, we are again watching closely.

Firstly lets just talk about the basics of coral reef formations and corals themselves:

Corals are made up from rock (limestone) which forms the skeleton and attachment for the coral, plant (zooxanthellae) that gives corals there colour as well as photosynthesizing and producing oxygen. The zooxanthellae and the polyp have a mutualistic relationship each providing benefits to the other.

The  animal is a polyp that has tiny tentacles that extend out and catch passing particles which feed the coral. There can be thousands of small polyps on a single coral head and millions spread over a coral reef area.

Anatomy of a coral polyp © Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Coral reefs provide many functions or services to people including food, enjoyment and recreation and protection from climatic events such as storms, tsunamis and waves. If a coral reef is not healthy and in balance these services can be affected. Keeping coral reefs healthy through managing fishing, reducing anchoring and pollution are some of the ways to keep our ecosystems in balance.



So what is bleaching?

This coral bleaching infographic by NOAA provides great simple information on the causes and impacts of bleaching.

When oceans temperatures exceed the normal threshold for corals (between 23C and 29C) and maintain that heat for a period of time, corals will start to drop the zooxanthellae, the corals begin to look very bright in colour, this is known as paling. If the temperatures remain high, the coral then may further bleach turning itself bright white. At this stage corals still may recover if water temperatures reduce quickly and the algae returns.

If the corals remain bleached and the water temperatures remain high, coral mortality may become an issue. Once a coral has completely bleached it is at risk of no longer providing food or habitat for marine animals as well as protection for shorelines from storms and large waves.

Those bright hot red spots are all around the waters of Tonga at the moment.

Chart showing possible bleaching stress between February and May 2015.

How can you help?

VEPA is a supporter of the CoralWatch program which can be used by divers and snorkelers to easily monitor changes in reef colour. Its free to do and we will input the data, so please if you would like to join in pop by the VEPA office located at the bottom of the Guttenbeil Plaza.

Coral Bleaching event in the Vava'u Group.....

A rapid survey team assessing the reefs on Tonga reports observations of the first stages of mass coral bleaching.  The SPREP (South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme) BioRAP (Biodiversity Rapid Assessment Programme) working in the northern Tonga group of islands called “Vava’u” reports about 1-3% of corals are bleached.  Some corals are white; others partly white, and others are neon colors like light blue or yellow. 

Due to increasing water temperatures, the NOAA Coral Watch program previously announced a bleaching watch for Tonga (February 2014).  The team, recorded seawater temperatures rising in the last week to about 30.5^o C, as well as the appearance of bleached corals.  Most of the bleaching observed was between 10 meters and the surface, however individually bleached coral colonies were observed up to depths of 30 meters in some places. A range of coral species was recorded as bleaching.

Corals bleach when increased seawater temperatures occur over a period of time; the corals, which are made up of skeletons, animals and single-cell plants, are placed under stress. When the algae (zooxanthellae or plant living within the animal), which give corals not only its color but also the ability to photosynthesize and feed, are released by the coral colony, the coral becomes bright white. As the coral has lost the plant component it loses them as a food source and is under extreme stress to survive.  Corals may recover from bleaching events if seawater temperatures decrease to within the limits of coral development. Bleaching events effect many different areas of the marine ecosystem including the reef fish as well as weakened coral reefs provide little protection for shorelines.

Area of bleaching coral within the Vava'u archipelago.

Most days have been sunny, with very light winds and small waves, but February 28th was cloudy and rainy when the team departed Vava’u.  The SPREP BioRAP team was surveying reefs and terrestrial ecosystems in the Vava’u group in support of conservation planning in Tonga.  The Kingdom of Tonga is located north and slightly east of New Zealand, and east of Fiji in the Pacific, and the Vava’u group of islands is at about 18.6500^o S.

The coral reef areas identified as bleaching sites will continue to be monitored and recorded for further analysis.

The marine team was based on the Waitt Institute Scientific Platform to conduct the marine surveys of Vava’u as part of the BioRAP programme with SPREP, Ministry of Lands, Environment, Climate Change,  and Natural Resources, Waitt Foundation and VEPA.

Coral Reef Survey and Outreach Program with Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation

VEPA was kindly asked to participate in the outreach program of the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation during their stay in Tonga. The vessel, M/Y Golden Shadow, is a large research vessel belonging to HRH Khaled bin Sultan of Saudi Arabia who has dedicated this vessel to monitoring and protecting the world’s coral reefs.

After their time in Fiji, the vessel arrived in Tonga where it was joined by 24 scientists and local partners including representatives from Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Fisheries and Ministry of Lands, Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources.

Karen Stone, who joined the vessel for VEPA, is also able to help out on some of the dives by collecting data on sea cucumbers, giant clams, and crown-of-thorns and Trochus snails.

This data is important for Tonga to help assess the current status of commercial fisheries including sea cucumber harvesting and status of Giant Clams. Crown-of-thorns are damaging to the reef as they feed on the corals; their natural predator the Triton Trumpet Shell is a much sought after species for souvenirs.  Crown-of-thorns species is also an indicator of run off, pollution and agricultural practices.

The first stop for the vessel was Ha’apai, the outreach team led by Amy Heemsoth, Director of Education for the Living Oceans Foundation, delivered awareness to over 500 school children and 35 teachers in one day. The slideshow focused on the objectives of the projects, coral ecology and the threats they face worldwide.

Ha’apai is extremely reliable on their coral reefs not only for a sustainable food source but also as a barrier between the ocean and the land protecting the coastlines from storm damage and as an indicator for climate change.

The awareness program was well received and some great comments from teachers and staff members showed a desire to learn more and to help enable the future of their coral reefs.

There is more outreach to come in the following week until we head to Vava’u, currently we are at Haafeva, which is a Fisheries Special Managed Area and tomorrow (Monday) we will head to shore to attend the Primary School followed by a community meeting in the evening.

This is a wonderful dedicated program that serves not only to provide scientific research but also to work alongside the communities to which coral reefs are so vital. It is an honour for us to be a part of such a program and we look forward to being able to continue the outreach and collaboration once the vessel has left our shores.

Vava'u Coral Reefs

Coral is an important piece of the environment that we need to protect.  I come from Australia and people have told me about the swimming in the Great Barrier Reef.  The majority of these people say it is not as good as it has been in the past.  This is because of humans as we use boats that anchor on the reef and also rubbish that gets blown into the ocean.  Coral grows very slowly and we have come along and bit by bit destroyed coral that is thousands of years old.  We are only starting to protect the Great Barrier Reef now.

Just some of the colourful marine life in Vava'u

Vava’u has hope as there is beautiful coral around in Vava’u and we need to protect that by being careful where we anchor yachts, ships fishing boats etc.  We also need to clean up the rubbish that’s on the road and put it in the bin, otherwise people are going to be called lazy and then I vote to change earths name to ‘The Laziest Planet in the Solar System’.

Coral bleaching on a reef in Vava'u

I learnt another thing while snorkelling with a VEPA volunteer in the Neiafu bay outside my place.  This is a bad process called erosion, where silt or mud is washed into the ocean when it rains and covers the coral.  Living in the coral is a little plant called Zooxanthellae, which helps keep the coral alive.  The coral provides a protective home for the plant and the zooxanthellae provides food for the coral through the process of photosynthesis (breathing in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen).  It’s just like trees only the fish use the oxygen instead of land animals.  The silt covers the coral so the Zooxanthellae can’t breath and die and then the coral dies.  When coral is dead it looses all it’s colour and turns white.

Vava'u's clear waters are fantastic for divers visibility. 

So please get off the couch and help VEPA and other organisations with our environment.  Not just coral but tree’s, animals (reptiles, fish, whales, land animals etc).  So please help any environmental organisation you can so we don’t have to change earths name to ‘The Laziest Planet in the Solar System’.  

By Ashlee Jones (student at Saineha High School)

Vicky's Experience as a VEPA Volunteer

Loved it. It was an amazing experience I will never forget. Where to start? ... VEPA, it is an honour to have been part (even a tiny little part) of this organization, its strong, honest, devoted dedication to the community, giving back to the community asking nothing in return other than cooperation... every time I’ve had to mention I was a VEPA volunteer, I said it with pride. It is really good that almost every person I’ve mentioned VEPA to, knew what it was. It’s great to see that the organization is growing, and more and more people want to get involved (whether its a little bit or a lot).

And this wouldn’t be possible without the amazing work of Karen Stone and Elana Balderstone. Of course the rest of the board members, volunteers, and friends of VEPA are all part of the success of VEPA, but I will speak of Karen and Elana because I worked with them the closest. Two amazingly hardworking women that breathe and sweat VEPA.

I keep saying to everyone I’m the luckiest person in the world for having been assigned the Matamaka Coral Nursery Project. It involved everything I enjoy... field work, kids, culture, beautiful scenery... I’m not very good with paperwork and computers, and even though I mentioned I would have like to help more around the office, I am very glad I was out doing hands-on work most of the time, and in a stunning place like Matamaka, who would complain?! I love swimming, I love the ocean... having it as my ‘office’, I enjoyed the early wake-ups. The most rewarding part was probably being involved with kids. They are so much fun, always excited to go swimming and for me to show them the reef. My first week there, I was teaching them how to use the snorkels and fins. They picked it up pretty fast. Sometimes there were a few problems with water getting in the mask. After that it was always “Vicky, are you going Swimming? Can I come with you?” and that way, every week I’d take a few kids out. 

I think they didn’t even know they had that reef there or what a reef looked like until they saw it through the masks. The moment we started approaching the first corals (and seeing the first fish), they would not stop pointing at anything and everything!  I would tell them the family names of the fishes but it was all too confusing in the water with so many fish around us. We did a little activity in class where they had to colour some black and white fish and match them to some photos of the common fish I had seen in Matamaka. They loved that and they were all very artistic. Having spent almost as much time in Matamaka as in Neiafu, I truly got to experience the Tongan culture. At first, the adults in the village were a bit confused about who I was and what I was doing there but little by little I got to know a few of them, and they got to know me, and then it became a normal thing having me walking around the village. I travelled on the little fishing boats every time to and from Matamaka, ate Tongan food (and Tongan portions), ‘showered’ with a bucket of water, went to church a few times, served kava, went camping, danced, sang, and laughed a lot.

Building the coral nurseries was fun, I’d walk around the village looking for the materials, take them to my little office (the tree by the jetty), putting the ropes and the frames together, placing them in the water...   starting to get the feeling that everything was finally coming together. Then, finding the right coral fragments and attaching them to the frame, that’s when it started getting a bit more complicated and cold (spending maybe 2 hours in the water until I could no longer feel my fingers). Collecting the corals was not as easy as I thought at first. 

Yes, there were a lot of fragments on the seabed, but as the beach in Matamaka does not get any wave action, fragments found there have been broken off by past cyclones. Who knows how long these fragments have been lying there, most of them have some algae growing on them. I’d dive to collect a fragment, which looked good from the surface and then turned out that the bottom was covered in algae. I ended having to replace many fragments week after week.

Another little complication was finding the perfect location to place the coral frame. Corals need clean water, with low nutrients and no suspended sediments. The first location chosen was not good, so much sediment everywhere...after a week when I went to check on them, all the fragments were bleached and covered by the sediments. I then decided to move it to the other side of the jetty where there is plenty of coral and a lot more fish. This turned out to be a much better location as most of the fragments kept their colour when I checked up on them week after week. Since we had a spare frame thanks to IMAX donating the materials, the second one was placed on the right side of the jetty but away from the rocks and all the sediments. It is a bit deeper but it’s on a sandy area and was placed next to a bommie with at least 5 different species of corals growing on it. We’ll have to see if the depth at which the frames were placed has any effect. Hopefully the coral will grow well on both frames! I’d love to come back next year (or in a few years) and see the small fragments turned into big colonies!

Hopefully the kids will stay motivated and continue the monitoring to the point where they see some growth and understand the benefits of the reef. Nevertheless, I do believe the kids learnt something, even just a little bit about how important the reef is and that it is crucial to look after it.

My experience as a volunteer for VEPA was truly amazing. I am really looking forward to coming back to Vava’u and of course being involved with VEPA again! Thanks so much to everyone in VEPA for giving me this wonderful experience.

Ofa 'atu, Vicky von Bernard, International Volunteer