PICRC Leads a Collaborative Effort to Rehabilitate Damaged Reefs

Palau’s coral reefs have shown greater resilience than those in many other regions of the world when exposed to the impacts of climate change. However, some of these valuable marine ecosystems — essential to Palauan livelihoods and culture — have not remained unscathed amid the various threats they confront and may require assistance to recover.

As part of its ongoing efforts to restore damaged reefs, the Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC) in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy, Micronesia and Polynesia, carried out a coral restoration activity in Ngaraard and Ngarchelong from October 13 to 15. The event was organized by PICRC’s researchers, Uly Olsudong, Mengiau Sasao and Dr. Jue Lalas, all members of the Coral Futures Academy project, which aims to build a network of local leaders in coral reef restoration.

The Center collaborated on this activity with state rangers from Koror, Ngaraard, and Ngarchelong, as well as volunteers from local communities and the Ebiil Society. Many of these participants had previously joined PICRC to train in coral restoration techniques during a workshop with international experts held last July, with the goal of building local capacity for climate-smart, adaptive reef management in Palau.

The joint effort in October resulted in the deployment of a total of 90 reef stars — structures designed to attach coral fragments and place them on the seafloor to become part of the reef — with 40 installed in Ngaraard and 50 in Ngarchelong. Participants collected naturally broken and loose coral fragments, known as “fragments of opportunity,” from the reef bottom and attached them individually to the reef stars.

In Ngaraard, the activity builds on the restoration work that PICRC began in 2023 following a request from the Governor and a subsequent site assessment. The reef, still struggling to recover from Typhoon Mike in 1990, exhibited high levels of coral bleaching, low numbers of branching corals, and abundant dead coral rubble compared to surrounding reefs. Today, the site contains a total of 249 reef stars, which the Center monitors regularly.

In Ngarchelong, the initiative launched a new restoration process that began with community consultation and site assessment. Both State Governments signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with PICRC in March 2025, demonstrating their commitment to protecting their marine resources by formalizing their collaboration in this and other projects.

PICRC extends its sincere appreciation to all the helping hands who contributed to it, demonstrating a growing community involvement in protecting Palau’s marine ecosystems—an engagement the Center intends to continue nurturing.