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Story 1:

Be Ready At All Costs - Kiribati fights for its future

 

Cognizant of the fact that climate change scientists have given their island approximately 50 years before much of it is uninhabitable, Kiribati is still looking for any way possible to preserve its sinking island nation and way of life.

 

As the Tara dinghy coasted to the white beach, a local fishing family sauntered down to greet it.  A young boy scaled a coconut tree to harvest fresh young coconuts for the Tara crew.  As Tara’s scientists took in the surroundings of this lost paradise, a lump formed in the back of some of their throats.  This island, this community, this family, none of it will be here in 50 years.  Tara scientist, Martin DesMalades from CRIOBE Lab in Perpignan, France, summed up the feeling, “You know the science and hear the different opinions about where and how (impacts of climate change) will happen here.  Then, when you stand on the island with the people and see their life, it is a feeling of disbelief.  You hope they can find a way.”

Located between Fiji and the Marshall Islands. The young island nation of Kiribati (pronounced "Kir-ee-bahs) is slated for the dubious honor of being one of the first nations in the world to lose its way of life to the ravages of climate change.  To get a local perspective, Tara sought the opinion of Choi Eting, National Climate Change Coordinator to the President of Kiribati.  Eting tells us a common saying instilled in Kiribati youth, “Nangoa Wagm Nte Tauraoi” – Be ready at all costs.  He says, “Now with the ice sheets melting, it may give us less time to build our adaptive capacity and resilience relative to when Kiribati may disappear.  It is a big question mark.  We may not have enough time to do that fully.”

 

They are already feeling the pressures of climate change. More severe storms lead to land disputes as more people move inland after storms, encroaching on others' land. Still, Eting says they are hopeful. “We have that fighting nature to stay in our country.  You can kind of look at it, you are like the captain of the ship - you go down with your ship.  It is about pride. It is about being who we are.  Where would we go?  Would we still be I-Kiribati after this?  Personally speaking, that is how I see it for my country. I guess my first instinct would be I’m going to go down with it.”   

 

Eting is not in denial about the stark reality of having to leave the land that his people and heritage are so closely tied to, to go live in another country, “Who are we if we move away from our country?  Are we still I-Kiribati?  Do our traditional values still count when we move to another country? Personally, I would like to remain I-Kiribati and still have my own traditions and cultural values.  Aside from the science.  Aside from the scientific fact that we do have 50 years.”  When we asked best case scenario, what his future will look like, he replied, “I will have kids by then, I will be married, I will live here in Kiribati all my life.  That is something that I envision for myself. That is the best-case scenario at this point.  The worst-case scenario?   The worst-case scenario would be having to evacuate Kiribati.  I don’t see a good future for our people if that day really came.”

 

 

Story 2: Managing the Future through Resource Management in Tuvalu

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As the Tara team surveyed the reefs around Funafuti, Tuvalu, it was easy to spot a marine environment in the midst of climate change and rising sea levels.  While the global community must work to reduce global warming, it turns out there is a lot that Tuvaluans can do to help save their precious homeland.

 

As Tara scientist Till Roethig of Chris Voolstra Lab at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, manta towed behind the Tara dinghy, he witnessed a scene that will forever be etched in his mind.  “I could see vast areas of branching coral gardens - mostly dead - and every now and then a completely submerged palm tree rolling around destroying the remaining corals.  I thought so, this is it, this is what climate change looks like. The effects of global warming taking the toll on the corals and rising sea levels taking it’s toll on the island”.  

 

Tuvalu is the world's poster child for climate change. Located about halfway between Australia and Hawaii, this low-lying atoll is surrounded by crystal blue water full of shallow reefs.  At the narrowest point,  you can walk across the atoll in about 12 steps.  The highest point on the island is 4.6 meters above sea level.  

 

With a deep connection to their family, land, tradition, and proud heritage, they love their home.   Many believe their long-term survival is in the hands of the global community.  However, we discovered there is a lot they can do as a community to promote their islands long term health and possible survival.  While life is beautiful,  a simple look around reveals humans are wreaking havoc on these vulnerable atolls.  Many of the people now living on Funafuti have migrated from other islands to find work. This migration has led to increased dependence on imported goods, pushing Funafuti to its capacity for population, coastal fishing, waste management, and sewage management. 

 

Tara met with Australian Ursula Kaly, an “ecosystem-focused” development consultant in the region for thirty years.  She told us,  “People here didn’t believe they could impact the resource, but they have.  It’s everyday decisions, not unusually outrageous things [causing these pressing issues].  The acid test is, if there was no such thing as climate change, these (changes) would still have to happen [to preserve the island’s ecosystem].     

 

Kaly believes the top three challenges are fostering sand-forming mechanisms, eliminating sewage pollution that chokes everything in the ocean, and the need for long-term data on coastal processes to better track sediment supply and how it works on this island.   

 

She noted the path forward demands a better understanding by Tuvaluans of how the entire ecosystem works together in their paradise.  Kaly told Tara that these issues can be managed and even rectified once local people and government officials truly understand how their everyday decisions are having an enormous impact on these delicate atolls - for generations to come.

 

 

Story 3: Hanging in the Balance

 

 In Wallis, Tara was fortunate to meet with Dr. Meyer, who is conducting the first-ever biodiversity study on Wallis and Futuna, and Atolotu Malau, who is the Manager of “Service of the Environment”.  We learned how, in the face of climate-change, this small island nation is fostering biodiversity and properly managing waste to preserve its resources for the future.

 

French Senior research scientist and Director of Research for French Polynesia, Dr. Jean-Yves Meyer, turned out to be the ideal seat partner on the flight from Fiji to Wallis.  When asked what issue is more pressing to Wallisians - combating climate change or preserving biodiversity?  Jean-Yves responded, "If we don't stop the direct and immediate threats to biodiversity, even if we mitigate the effects of climate change, there will be nothing left in several decades."  Wallis and Futuna are located about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand. This small Pacific volcanic island, with its lush tropical backdrop of low-lying hills and tropical blue water, is fringed by coral reefs.

 

On December 27th, we met with Atoloto Malau.  What are the top three challenges facing Wallis's future?  He responded: “Resource management, waste management, and global warming. We are trying to deal with all of it now.”  In the past few years, the new challenge has been increased waste from imported goods - plastic, aluminum, glass, and hazardous waste.  In November, for the first time ever, waste was shipped off the island; legislation was passed requiring reusable bags in local shops; and they incentivised a plastic/aluminum/glass buyback program. 

 

Atoloto noted, “The biggest challenge facing the marine environment - pollution, corals, and fish stock - they are interdependent.”  According to the Wallis environmental department, there has been pronounced coral bleaching in recent years, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports that sea levels have risen by 10 centimeters here over the past 20 years.  Currently in the midst of implementing a global strategy for sustainable development, Wallisians are trusting that even in the face of climate change, focusing on cleaning up their environment and preserving land and ocean ecosystems will keep this island thriving for generations to come.

 

 

Story 4: In Chuuk, Tara scientists found considerable coral mortality and ongoing bleaching.  Reports indicate conditions may be even worse in Guam.

  

With little published data before 2016 on the conditions of Chuuk’s coral reefs, the Tara team had hoped to find conditions better here than the high coral mortality they witnessed in Tuvalu and Kiribati.

 

Scientist Till Röthig King, Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) located in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, noted, “I was surprised to see corals as deep at 30 meters impacted by bleaching.”  He describes visual evidence that suggests the bleaching has been going on for some time: “A colony of massive coral was partially dead on top, with algae growing on it, then further down the coral tissue was alive but bleached. At the bottom, the coral tissue still seemed healthy”.  

 

People in the Chuuk government state that there was no temperature-related bleaching before 2016, and this is supported by NOAA Coral Reef Watch data.  NOAA data reaching back to 2000 indicates no major temperature anomalies before September 2016.  Then, the temperature increased for three months, likely causing widespread coral bleaching and mortality in the region.  What Tara scientists witnessed seems to be the aftermath of this acute bleaching event.

 

Tara will next examine Guam’s coral, following a 3-day, 580 nautical-mile voyage.  Tara is currently sailing under (Beaufort scale) force 6 winds, under partially cloudy skies, and facing 3 meters of swell.  Everyone is learning how to live and work in very rocky conditions, but spirits are still high.

 

Located right outside the “Coral Triangle,” Guam is historically known for its incredibly diverse coral ecosystem.  However, The Washington Post recently quoted Laurie Raymundo, Coral Ecologist at the University of Guam: “For the past four years (2014-2016) we’ve had bleaching episodes, and we have not had them to this extent in recent history.” Describing her recent shock after diving to view the coral, she posted on Facebook, “I consider myself to be fairly objective and logical about science, but sometimes that approach fails me.  Today, for the first time in 50 years, I’ve been in the water, I cried for an hour, right into my mask, as I witnessed the extent to which our lovely Tumon Bay corals were bleached and dying”.

 

Story 5: Quality French Cooking is Key to Tara’s Success

An interview with Tara Cook, Dominique Limbourm, on the pleasures and perils of creating high-quality food for a crew of 14 people on a sailboat.

 

Having cooked on boats from Antarctica to Tahiti, Dominique Limbourm’s position is one of the more demanding on the boat.  Up at 5:30 am,  she is cooking and planning the next meal until 9 pm. When her head hits the pillow, she is still thinking about the next meal.  You can often see her smiling as she reads a cookbook, or covered in flour, baking bread.  

 

She says, “I am here to be with scientists and better understand their work.  Before this expedition, I knew little about coral and plankton.  For me, it is important because I want to know more about the health of the ocean and global warming.”  

 

Dominique’s critical contribution to the expedition is her scrumptious French cooking. “Food is so important, because we are on a French boat and food is an important part of our culture. Meals are the few times a day the community stops working to connect, to discuss, and relate to one another.  It is time to laugh and take a break. Food sets the atmosphere.  Quality, taste, and quantity are very important," she notes.  

 

In foreign markets, she is looking for great local produce and exports from home that she knows her crewmates will be happy to see. She also learns from locals. A woman in Tahiti showed her how to extract milk from the coconut meat, and now every time we catch a fish, she uses fresh lime and coconut to make ceviche.  

She also loves working with Tara’s hydrophone. “I love to set the hydrophone in the water overnight and listen to sounds around the reef - sometimes even whale calls.  And for a few moments, I do some science.”  After the expedition, she will head to Australia to visit her brother and relax.  And with a smile, she tells me, “I won’t cook for a month.”

 

Story 6: Q&A with Captin Martin

After boarding Tara this past October in Moorea, Martin has sailed Tara almost 8,500 nautical miles through 16 atolls, 11 islands, and 8 countries to reach Fukoka, Japan, in 5 months and a week.  Amid his demanding schedule, he took the time to share more about his experience as captain.

 

1 - How do you feel about visiting Japan for the first time, and what are you most excited to experience?

 

I’m very excited to visit Japan.  In college, I was involved in a film festival where the guest of the year was Japanese.  Before that, I knew little about the Land of the Rising Sun, but I met Japanese performers and saw many different movies. Ever since, I have been fascinated by the mix of modernity contrasted with the weight of tradition.  I have always known I would visit Japan one day, and luckily, that day has come with Tara.

 

2 - Where did you begin this leg of the trip? How long have you been aboard, and what were the highlights of this leg for you?

 

Scientists aboard have taken thousands of samples, we have completed hundreds of dives, dozens of scientists and crew have been aboard.  Often it has been in unbearable heat, working/living on a ship built for the Arctic in the equator. It has been a very rich experience filled with mixed emotions and an array of experiences. We have met with kings and chiefs, spent the night in a fale (traditional hut), experienced an island church service, and ate pork cooked in a traditional oven. 

 

Patience has been key to navigating the Pacific.  Long hours waiting in government offices, stuck in bureaucracy, meant we could talk to locals about their islands, way of life, and how they do or don’t protect the environment. I have spent countless hours on boat papers, obtaining clearance in and out of each port, and trying to obtain CITES permits for the coral samples.  I met many people with diverse views on the impacts of climate change.  In Tuvalu (waiting for permits), I asked an administrator about sea level rise.  She said, “We don’t have a problem with that. God has a plan for everybody, and so he has a plan for us”.

 

I was truly impressed by the Tuamotus’ lush tropical backdrop, which fulfills every Western Polynesian’s dream. We were often surrounded by humpback whales and even swam with them. The Wallis atoll was magical when we arrived after four days’ navigation, with incredible light illuminating the bright blue water contrasted with the green endemic trees.  Before Futuna, 50% of the dives we did found bleached and dead reefs.  The feeling aboard was that we were witnessing the impending doom for coral reefs around the planet. However, dives off of Alofi Atoll were the best we experienced during the past 4 months - colorful and very alive.  We were elated to discover a healthy reef in Polynesia. We have been lucky to do some gorgeous night dives with sea snakes in Niue and some tremendous wreck dives in Chuuk.

 

3 - What is the most challenging part of being the captain aboard Tara?

 

Life onboard is intense. The mission of Tara is very ambitious, and it is not always easy to coordinate the science, public relations, tight time schedules, and weather conditions.  There is always another destination, each stopover is different, and you need to be in front of the situation for the success of the expedition.  It is extremely interesting, and there is always a challenge. Weeks have flown by in no time.  In this job, you are continually passing through so many new experiences and are always focused on the next thing that needs to be done.  It is only when you stop that you have time to reflect and that you can take in the entire experience.

 

4 - What is your plan after you get off the boat?

 

It’s not sure yet. I’m waiting for an answer about the seaman certificate. I have two options that will lead to completely different paths.  I will either return to my boat in Guatemala to get some rest or start an upper certificate to update my captain’s license and attend school for the next year.

 

7 - For everyone aboard Tara, departing from Guam is sweet sorrow, saying goodbye to valued crew and friends, meeting new crew, and excitedly heading to Japan.

 

Story 7 - The end of this leg of the expedition

Tara scientists completed their research in Guam, but were able to sample only a small area because of the weather.  Scientists noted that good coral cover was restricted to small protected patches, yet the abundance of coral reef-associated fish was surprisingly high.

 

The departing crew includes memorable friends. Deck Officer Julie Lherault, the lone woman, who can captain a dinghy or fix a bilge pump with the most seasoned of boat crews, then put on a dress and prepare the best sashimi dinner you will have in your entire life.  Nico De La Brosse, the First Mate, who makes sure the boat is running smoothly with everything in its place.  He can always be located on the boat laughing loudly at another joke.  His love of prosciutto and chocolate cocoa puffs is so great, rumor has it he slept with them under his pillow for the past month!  Last, but not least, Chief Engineer Daniel Cron, who must contort into the smallest, darkest, and often dirtiest places on the boat to ensure that Tara is running smoothly.  His infamous dance moves and humorous scolding when you forget to turn off the lights in your room - “This is not Versailles” - will be sorely missed.  While each of these crew members has their titles, they all work incredibly hard, tackling any task that needs to be accomplished – even when it is not part of their job – to ensure the success of the scientists and the expedition.  It has been incredible to watch them work as a team, and it has been an honor for all aboard to have worked with them.

 

On February 2nd  in the port of Guam, we met with our shipping partner, Rainer Friedrich of World Courier, and packed 3 months' worth of scientific samples (Tahiti to Guam) for shipment to labs around the world.  After saying our goodbyes, we had the joy of meeting four new crew members: First Mate Nico Bin, Deck Officer Francoisa Urat, Chief Engineer Loïc Caudan, and our artist-in-residence, Maki Ohkojima from Tokyo. 

 

We are raising our sails for a five-day, 832 nautical mile navigation to Japan, where our first stop before we reach the mainland will be the southern islands of Ogasawara.  One of the highlights this year for Tara is our stops in Japan.  Since 2009, Tara Expeditions Foundation has collaborated with Japanese evolutionary biologist and ecologist of microorganisms, Hiroyuki Ogata, a senior researcher at Kyoto University.  As the first Japanese scientist to work aboard Tara, we are excited to work with him in his home country.  In Japan, Tara will specifically examine the Kuroshio Current and its role in the larval dispersal of reef fish.  Generated in the Western Pacific, this warm current feeds the most northerly reefs on the planet, located in Japan.