Many coral reefs occur in regions with limited access to technology and data that could provide information for effective conservation and management. Many are managed directly by people who rely on them for food security. This presents an opportunity for innovative solutions that bring people, technology, and traditional knowledge together.

This project aims to create a ‘toolkit’ of coral reef health diagnostics, and a support system for interpretation, to enhance capacity for stewardship in a rapidly changing seascape and culturescape. The project will combine modern science with traditional knowledge and practices, and launch that new knowledge into applied solutions for the protection of these critical, biodiverse habitats. We will create a toolkit and assessment framework that will be applicable across a broad region. This work is being conducted in the Caroline islands, which comprise a vast archipelago of islands surrounded by coral reefs and managed by local communities with a high degree of autonomy. They offer an unprecedented opportunity for innovative and locally led conservation solutions.