https://urf.columbia.edu/ugrad-research-symposium/2021/alexandria-malilay-cc22

To assess a reef’s health status, marine ecologists calculate the area of a reef covered in live coral. Live coral coverage can be interpreted with remote sensing data to create habitat maps of seabed ecosystems. Policymakers, conservationists, and marine scientists frequently use these maps, yet the production of benthic cover classifications of the Pacific Ocean’s corals remains scarce. The objective of this study is to conduct an accuracy assessment of widely used remote sensing data products for the shallow reefs of Tepungan Bay in Guam. The Allen Coral Atlas, Guam Coastal Atlas, and NASA Coral Reef Airborne Laboratory (NASA CORAL) data are compared to a habitat map produced by this study using WorldView-3 satellite data. This project’s benthic maps are produced by a visual interpretation using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Software to understand the application of current remote sensing products to small, local spatial scales. The results of this research will aid decision-making in reef management and conservation efforts. Planning for coral out-planting sites, establishing marine protected areas, and targeting vulnerable sites of interests may be improved with a deeper understanding of the applicability of different remote sensing data products.

A mosaic of the brightest yellows, deepest purples, and speckles of blue covered the seafloor. This vivid memory of the first time I saw Guam’s coral reefs in my childhood has stayed with me through my studies at Columbia University and motivated my pursuit to learn as much as I can about our marine environment. There is an entire world to explore under the water; while the ocean spans more than 70 percent of Earth’s surface, over 80 percent of our ocean remains unmapped, unobserved, and unexplored [4]. We have detailed maps of Mars, the moon, and planets in our solar system, yet we seem to know less about the vast ecosystems that spread across the seabed of our own planet. Our coral reefs are one of the most valuable ecosystems on an economic, ecological, and community level on this planet. They provide coastal protection to neighboring communities, contribute billions of dollars to the fishing and tourism industry, and harbor nearly one-third of the diversity of life in the ocean [4,6].

Unfortunately, many harmful human activities have contributed to the global decline of our coral reefs due to the overuse of marine resources, overdevelopment in coastal locations, pollution, and rising sea temperatures from greenhouse gas emissions [7]. A multitude of efforts have attempted to restore and assist the recovery of these diverse ecosystems from human destruction. The implementation of marine protected areas, regulations on fishing and supplies used for fishing, and reduction in pollution have been applied in coral reef areas to promote their recovery. However, these efforts have not been sufficient in maintaining the health of the coral reefs, as studies have observed that the levels of diversity in coral reef ecosystems remain the same or continues to worsen despite the aforementioned restoration efforts [3]. These current, inadequate restoration efforts are missing an essential perspective in their efforts of ecosystem recovery. The restoration of coral reefs is reliant on the integration of the Indigenous and local community, as they bring their cultural and ecological knowledge to the table which is intertwined with the health of the reef. Education and outreach programs for the local community must be integrated alongside current practices for restoration.

The value of Indigenous ecological knowledge is indisputable. “Indigenous lands make up around 20 percent of the earth’s territory, containing 80 percent of the world’s remaining biodiversity” [5]. As a people who have inhabited their land for thousands of years, knowledge of the environment is expressed and understood through legends, dances, language, and a multitude of cultural practices. On Guam, the southernmost island of the Marianas archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, the taotao tåsi (or CHamoru people) have taken care of the land for the past 5,000 years. As a CHamoru woman myself, I have learned my connections to the sea and land through these Indigenous cultural practices and language. Indigenous people often refer to themselves as “people of the sea” or “people of the land” in their native tongue rather than stating their place of origin. In CHamoru, this is stated by claiming the title of taotao tåsi or taotao tåno, a person of the sea or land, respectively. This act shows the inherent value that Indigenous people have for the environment and fortifies an ecological consciousness through language. Conceptions of the environment are verbalized, with the connection to the environment being claimed and central to Indigenous identity. 

Further, Indigenous people’s ecological understanding of the land comes from thousands of years of location-specific knowledge. “Because of their dependence on local resources, Indigenous peoples may know of natural fluctuations in population size, habitat specificity, or dietary preferences that are not yet recorded in scientific literature. Local fishers often have detailed information into the biology of their targets” [2]. For the CHamoru population on Guam, fishing is an integral part of the culture and influences social interactions. The arrival of traditional fish like the ti’ao (baby goat fish) and manahak (baby rabbit fish) bring friends and family together for feasts and celebration of the species significance. CHamoru fishermen are extremely knowledgeable about the paths of migration of the ti’ao and manahak, and this location-specific knowledge has been passed down through generations [1]. In the same way that CHamoru ecological knowledge is essential to the restoration of Guam’s aquatic ecosystems and coral reefs, efforts must be made to integrate Indigenous peoples around the world into marine restoration projects on a global scale.

Integrating the perspectives of surrounding communities is also extremely important in any efforts to restore an environment, as the locals as a collective are the largest group of stakeholders in restoration. Coral reefs are not just distant landscapes deep in the ocean; they are social-ecological systems in which the health of the reefs directly affects the communities that rely on its resources and vice versa. In Guam, the fishing industry supports the livelihood of many coastal residents by providing fishermen a source of income along with the community a resource for food. Coastal residents’ livelihoods depend on the population of fish, and a sustained population of fish is only possible if the reefs are kept in healthy condition. With their lives intertwined with the health of the reefs, the local community’s needs must be integrated into restoration efforts by putting them in positions of authority in the planning process and listening to their needs. Coral restoration is only possible in Guam and elsewhere by centering the perspective and knowledge of Indigenous and local communities.

NASA’s NeMo Net project has taken these steps in the direction of involving the local community in assisting with efforts to map the coral reefs of Guam and the Pacific Islands. Images of Guam’s coral reefs are collected with advanced remote sensors that are mounted on aerial vehicles, and these images can then be classified into coral or sand to create maps of Guam’s coral reefs. With the NeMo-Net app downloaded on a tablet, any user can help classify the ecosystem by painting over high quality 3D and 2D images of coral and sand, as seen in the pictures below. From your tablet anywhere in the world, you can explore marine life in the Pacific Ocean and help assess the health of coral reefs around the world. 

There are opportunities all around us to further understand the coral reefs of the world and assist in marine restoration efforts, and NeMo-Net is just one platform among many that connect us to these underwater ecosystems when we’re physically far away from them. While I’ve lived in NYC for the past three years, I have learned just as much about the aquatic world in the city as I did while on the coasts of California and Guam. There is an entire world under the sea to learn from, and we are much more connected to the ocean than you may think. Our individual actions influence the health of ecosystems in the sea, and the state of these underwater habitats then affect us. This cyclical nature of our connection to the environment has been understood by Indigenous people for millennia, and we can all continue to learn from Indigenous and local perspectives in regards to the environment. 

Whether you’re living on the coast or in the city, we are all people of the land and sea. Hu agradesi todus hamyo’ na Chamorrita sumasaga Nuebu York. Thank you from a Chamorro girl living in New York.

References 

1. Allen, S. D., & Bartram, P. K. (2008). Guam as a fishing community.
2. Drew, J. A. (2005). Use of traditional ecological knowledge in marine conservation. Conservation biology, 19(4), 1286-1293.
3. France, R. L. (2016). From land to sea: governance-management lessons from terrestrial restoration research useful for developing and expanding social-ecological marine restoration. Ocean & Coastal Management, 133, 64-71.
4. NOAA. (2021). How much of the ocean have we explored? National Ocean Service website,https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/exploration.html#:~:text=Currently%2C%20less%20than%20ten%20percent,been%20mapped%20with%20modern%20methods.
5. United Nations. (2021). The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/04/Indigenous-Peoples-Collective-Rights-to-Lands-Territories-Resources.pdf
6. van Beukering, P., Haider, W., Longland, M., Cesar, H., Sablan, J., Shjegstad, S.,  & Garces, G. O. (2007). The economic value of Guam’s coral reefs. University of Guam Marine Laboratory Technical Report, 116, 102.
7. Wusinich-Mendez, D. (2010). Guam’s coral reef management priorities.

Not much is known about the rearing of giant triton snail larvae. While researchers have been able to keep them alive in captivity for up to 91 days, significant growth of the snail shell has not been observed. Different feeding treatments of algae and zooplankton have been tested, but none have been successful.

In hopes to further the development of the larvae, we’re hatching them in unfiltered seawater from Orpheus Island. If the larvae digest anything from the seawater in this “natural environment,” we may be given a clue for what direction to continue the research. The larvae will be sent back to the lab for lipid analysis to assess exactly what compounds they have digested.

Each tank is established with about 2000 larvae – the amount of larvae in a single egg capsule. Individual tanks are designed with aeration coming from the bottom of the tank through an air rod at the base. The unfiltered seawater is delivered through the blue rod at the top. The water level is maintained by the white drain which has mesh covering it to prevent larvae from also being drained out.

Over the next two weeks, we hope to observe shell growth and continuous movement in their digestive gland.

The crown-of-thorns seastar (COTS) is a pretty crazy creature. With up to 23 arms and spanning two to three feet, it’s intimidating to handle. If you get pricked by a spine, the seastar releases neurotoxins that cause major swelling and pain. The neurotoxins, known as saponins, are used as a defense mechanism against predators.

These massive animals are one of the main contributors to the destruction of the coral reef. They feed on nearly all types of corals and can eat their own body surface area worth of coral in a single night.

At the Australian Institute of Marine Science, a lot of research is being done on COTS to mitigate outbreaks and prevent them from consuming the reef in the large numbers that they do.