PICRC Welcomes The Nature Conservancy CEO to Discuss Research Progress and Strengthen Partnership

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization working to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends and promote thriving communities in harmony with nature. Founded in 1951 and working in more than 80 countries and territories, including Palau, TNC is one of the world’s largest conservation organizations, addressing pressing environmental challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem degradation.

With Palau hosting the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, TNC CEO Jennifer Morris joined numerous Pacific leaders and partners attending the meeting during the first week of September. During her time in Palau, the Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC), a long-standing partner of TNC, was pleased to welcome Ms. Morris to the Center, where she had the opportunity to see firsthand the progress of PICRC’s ongoing research and discuss the importance of TNC’s support and partnership in advancing the Center’s work.

Accompanied by PICRC CEO Roxanne Siual Blesam, Dr. Yimnang Golbuu, Conservation Director for The Nature Conservancy, Micronesia and Polynesia, and other members of the PICRC and TNC teams, Ms. Morris toured PICRC’s facilities, where several researchers shared details about the Center’s current projects.

Among these was PICRC’s long-term monitoring program across Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) within Palau’s Protected Areas Network (PAN). PICRC Chief Researcher Ikelau Otto shared the latest progress from the program, which regularly collects data on marine ecosystems and organisms, including commercially important fish and corals, to assess the effectiveness of MPAs and track changes in Palau’s marine resources over time.

The visit continued with Aquarium researchers sharing their work on heat-tolerant corals with Ms. Morris. She had the opportunity to observe coral recruits with potential heat tolerance spawned at the Center and learn about PICRC’s ongoing efforts to identify naturally heat-tolerant corals and incorporate them into coral restoration efforts, work that is being carried out on Palau’s reefs to increase their resilience to rising ocean temperatures.

Finally, PICRC researcher Dr. Christina Muller-Karanassos provided Ms. Morris with an update on the Center’s latest research on fisheries and commercially important species, including a study on the status of reef fish and another examining the biology of the longnose emperor (Lethrinus olivaceus; melangmud). Ms. Morris also received a demonstration from PICRC Research Assistant Watson Beketel Winner and Dr. Alex Filous, Director of Sustainable Fisheries at TNC Micronesia and Polynesia, on how scientists extract gonads (reproductive organs) and otoliths (ear bones) from fish to gather information on their sexual maturity and age. She also had the opportunity to practice these techniques herself.

TNC has a long-standing commitment to supporting local institutions such as PICRC in protecting Palau’s ecosystems, fostering thriving communities in harmony with nature, and applying science-based approaches to the sustainable management of the country’s natural resources.

PICRC greatly appreciates Ms. Morris’s visit and the opportunity to continue strengthening its relationship with TNC, an essential partner in the Center’s work. The PICRC team looks forward to building on this collaboration as it advances its ongoing efforts to protect Palau’s natural environment and support the communities that depend on it.