(TNC) — The Nature Conservancy, Micronesia and Polynesia, is working with local organizations across Micronesia to fill critical gaps in fisheries data and support sustainable reef management. Through ongoing studies in Palau and the Marshall Islands, scientists are collecting detailed information on reef fish to help communities make informed decisions about their marine resources.
In Palau, TNC is collaborating with the Bureau of Fisheries, the Palau International Coral Reef Center and the Coral Reef Research Foundation on the country’s largest-ever reef fish life history study. Since the project began in 2023, the team has sampled over 2,000 fish to study their growth, lifespan, and reproduction. For the first time, management decisions in Palau will be guided by data collected from local fish populations, rather than relying on information from other regions.
In the Marshall Islands, TNC and the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority expanded fisheries monitoring at the Outer Islands Fish Market Center in Majuro. The team has recorded length data from 106 species of coral reef fish from outer islands, totaling more than 35,000 measurements. Using this data, they completed the first fisheries assessment of six key species, including two grouper species that are particularly important to local fisheries, laying the foundation for evidence-based harvest strategies in the country.
Both projects are building local expertise in fisheries monitoring and strengthening partnerships among research agencies, government authorities, and communities. In both countries, local interns and partners are trained in fish sampling, data collection, and analysis using TNC’s open-source FishKit toolkit, ensuring skills and knowledge remain in-country.
“These efforts are a major step toward fisheries management led by local science,” said Dr. Alex Filous, director of sustainable fisheries at TNC Micronesia and Polynesia. “By combining community knowledge with robust data, we’re helping island nations manage their reef resources on their own terms.”
