With a little over a month left, the Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC) continues to prepare for its 19^th Anniversary Fundraising Dinner Gala on January 16, 2020. The 19^th Anniversary Fundraising Dinner Gala is intended to be an unforgettable night for PICRC’s dedicated supporters. To help make it a memorable evening, PICRC is partnering with Elilai Restaurant for the third year in a row, to ensure a fine dining experience for the attendees of the gala.

Since its opening in 2007, Elilai Restaurant has become a popular dining place among locals and visitors alike. The food features a Japanese, Thai, Italian, and Pacific fusion that is prepared with fresh and local ingredients. With a spectacular view, and even more spectacular food, Elilai Restaurant provides an excellent dining experience. read more

In support of the Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC), President Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr. has agreed to host PICRC’s 19^th Anniversary Fundraising Dinner Gala, which will be held on January 16, 2020.  This anniversary fundraising dinner gala is PICRC’s biggest event of the year.  The funds raised from this event will go directly to fund the Center’s research and outreach programs.

“It is with pleasure for me to announce that we will host PICRC’s 19th Anniversary Fundraising Dinner Gala.  Please join me to show our support and appreciation to the Palau International Coral Reef Center as they continue their efforts to conserve Palau’s ocean resources for the benefit of the people of Palau,” expressed President Remengesau.  “This fundraising is critical for PICRC, especially at this time as they face the new challenge of expanding their work from coral reefs to the whole ocean in Palau’s jurisdiction.  By coming together, we can help PICRC to successfully reach new frontiers and successfully implement their new mandate.” read more

On October 14, 2019, researchers Lincy Lee Marino and Shirley Koshiba, from Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC), attended a week long Socio-Economic Measure (SEM) Training Program in Guam.

Throughout the workshop, Ms. Marino and Ms. Koshiba learned how to use the IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software; a program designed to analyze socioeconomic datasets. The use of this software will allow researchers to analyze social data for past, present and future socioeconomic research. read more

On Monday, November 18, 2019, the Outreach Team at Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC) were welcomed into Airai’s Head Start classroom to deliver a lesson on Clams. With a series of activities that included, sing along, storytelling, and coloring, students were able to learn about clams, their habitat, characteristics and importance within the marine ecosystem.

Likewise, on Tuesday November 19, PICRC was happy to welcome the same group of students into the Palau Aquarium for a tour of the different ecosystems displayed throughout the exhibits. Students were able to learn about the five different habitats displayed in the Aquarium and reinforce what was learned on the previous day. read more

A new study released this month by researchers at Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC), shows Ngeruangel Marine Reserve as an effective conservation area with high fish abundance and biomass. The research team was led by Marine Gouezo and include researchers Ikelau Otto, Randa Jonathan, Geory Mereb, Victor Nestor, Dawnette Olsudong, and Anna Parker. Ngeruangel Marine Reserve, located in Kayangel State, is part of the Protected Areas Network (PAN) and has been protected since 1996.

PICRC researchers studied the status of fish, macro-invertebrates, juvenile corals, and benthic cover at both Ngeruangel Marine Reserve, as well as Kayangel atoll as a reference site for comparison. The fore reef and lagoon habitat were surveyed both inside and outside the reserve. The results show that Ngeruangel Reserve is effective at protecting fish such as emperors, snappers, parrotfish and rudderfish. The protection, however, does not appear to have an effect on macro-invertebrates such as clams and sea cucumbers. read more