Development of Cultural Protocols for Offshore Research Expeditions Underway

The development of cultural protocols for offshore scientific research expeditions was successfully initiated in a 2-day workshop that included participants with a range of expertise in traditional knowledge and best practices. Following an endorsement from the Council of Chiefs and meetings with the Society of Historians and Koror’s House of Traditional Leaders, key stakeholders and participants in the workshop began looking into the technical aspects and approach of designing these standards.

Referencing past interactions between holders of traditional knowledge and scientists and using Palau’s traditional value system as foundational to this work, participants identified thematic areas that would serve as the starting point to developing these innovative cultural protocols. One such example is in the naming of species and places using a similar approach to how Palauans have named nearshore, coastal fish and places. The Belau Offshore Fisheries Incorporated, which is one of two locally operated fishing companies, has coined the name, Ngerbuil, for Lampris guttatus, commonly known as moonfish. The genus name Lampris is derived from the ancient Greek word lampros, meaning “brilliant” or “clear”, while the Latin species name guttatus means “spotted” and refers to the spotted body of this fish.

This initiative stems from the designation of the Bul traditional management practice of conservation placed upon the Palau National Marine Sanctuary and is a strategic effort to advance traditional knowledge and best practices in tandem with scientific understanding. The Bureau of Cultural & Historical Preservation Office, OneReef, and the Palau International Coral Reef Center will work closely with the community to develop the cultural protocols that will be applied on the offshore scientific expeditions with Ocean Exploration Trust’s E/V Nautilus in October and November. 

Two deep ocean exploration expeditions are being planned for October – November 2024 in support of the U.S.’s commitment to map Palau National Marine Sanctuary, which was announced in 2022 at the Our Ocean Conference hosted in Palau. Ocean Exploration Trust, Palau International Coral Reef Center, NOAA Ocean Exploration, and other Palauan and U.S. collaborators are working closely to co-develop plans for these expeditions in an inclusive and culturally appropriate manner to reflect and value Indigenous knowledge with funding from NOAA Ocean Exploration via the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute. The two expeditions will be streamed live at NautilusLive.org and include local scientists, educators, and students onboard.