It was a perfect day for the folks from Chuuk Conservation Society and The Department of Marine Resources. The sun was shining and the ocean was smooth and calm. It was a good day to dive! The Coral Reef Monitoring program first started out in 2008 with training held by people from Palau International Coral Reef Center and The Pacific Marine Resources Institute. When the training ended, Coral Reef Monitoring started here in Chuuk. Today, it is still and ongoing project. The purpose of this project is for management and legislation, also for communities or resource owners who want to start a Marine Protected Area (MPA). The amazing part of these monitors is getting a first hand knowledge of the aquatic life and how they work with one another to survive the dangers of the changes that constantly appear. It takes a person to experience going underwater to really know the wonders of our very own ocean!

Watching this really made me think about what we can do for our islands. I know conservation is at a slow pace here, but they do say, "Slow and steady wins the race," right? Conservation is still so new to us, but with the progress we've had so far, things are looking pretty bright. Seeing this video made me realize that if they can do it, we can definitely do it too!



/s/ Kris