Connected by the Reef
Project Overview:
The project “Connected by the Reef – Te firi a’au” aims to conduct a worldwide observation of the spawning of the coral species Porites rus, coordinated in Tahiti. Over the past three years, the dedicated team and numerous observers have collected 426 observations across 18 different islands. These efforts have demonstrated that Porites rus spawns predictably and synchronously on the same day, from French Polynesia to La Réunion Island. However, a question remains: Is this synchronization valid on a global scale?
Porites rus is found in coral reefs throughout the Pacific and Indian Oceans, extending to the Red Sea. The goal of the “Connected by the Reef – Te firi a’au” project is to mobilize observers globally to witness the spawning of Porites rus on the same day. By doing so, we aim to determine the geographic limits of this synchronization and answer a key question: Are our coral reefs connected?
Program Partners
- Tama no te Taitoro
Location
- Pacific and Indian Ocean coral reefs
Expected Time Frame
- Ongoing - January 19, 2025
Citizen Science activity parameters listed above are flexible and negotiable.
Background:
Vetea Liao, the founder and director of the NGO Tama no te Taitoro, observed by chance the spawning of the coral Porites rus for the first time in the morning on November 17th, 2014. At that time, he was working for the CRIOBE research station at Moorea (French Polynesia) and there were no studies conducted on daytime coral spawning. With almost no information, it took few years for Vetea to finally find out the exact date and time of the spawning event of this particular coral. First, in 2019 and with 4 friends, he proved that the spawning prediction was accurate and the phenomenon was happening simultaneously over 2 differents islands (Tahiti and Moorea). In 2020, the network of observers grew to 20 peoples and confirmed the spawning at the predicted date and time on 7 differents islands. In 2021, he founded the NGO Tama no te Tairoto and in 3 years with more than 400 peoples they collected 426 observations, over 14 islands in French Polynesia, on more than 130 differents sites and find that the spawning for this species was happening on the same day also in Fiji, Indonesia, Seychelles and La Reunion Island. The scientific article describing for the first time this large-scale spawning synchrony is in the writing process and will be submitted for publication soon.
Data Impact:
The main objective of the project is to organize the largest observation of a synchronized coral spawning event and find the spatial limit.
How to Participate:
The spawning season for Porites rus begins in November, peaking in January. Accordingly, Saturday, January 18, and Sunday, January 19, 2025 (depending on time zones) have been selected for this grand global mobilization event “Connected by the Reef – Te firi a’au.”
This phenomenon could be observed in over 47 countries and territories, including:
- Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua ;
- French Polynesia, Hawaii Islands, Kiribati Islands, Cook Islands, Samoa, American Samoa;
- Fiji, Tonga, Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu, New Caledonia;
- Marshal Islands, Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Papua New Guinea, Australia;
- Palau, Japan (southern islands), Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, Sumatra;
- Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, Seychelles, Madagascar, Tanzania, Reunion Island;
- Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, Yemen, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and more.
Tama no te Taitoro are seeking to mobilize observers residing near coral reefs to map the presence of Porites rus worldwide and verify the synchronization of this coral’s spawning. Their team will coordinate the activities and data from global observers from Tahiti and will share the results shortly after the event. By joining, you will contribute to a vital scientific endeavor that could reshape our understanding of coral reef connectivity.
To participate and receive all the important information and be ready on the main day, register on the form :
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXbyEhdMZ42mdBYhst-_0qXbRxqGV6NaBYdSptB6UPbsh0tw/viewform
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