OUR PROGRAMS
Fa'atura te Tahatai Project
For many years, the coastlines of the high volcanic islands in the Society Archipelago have been under significant pressure due to increasing urbanization and human intervention along the shoreline, particularly through land reclamation. The construction of walls or rock armoring along these reclaimed areas disrupts natural ocean currents. These artificial structures contribute to coastal erosion and the gradual disappearance of sandy beaches.
Moreover, soil erosion leads to the runoff of sediments into the lagoon, where they settle on coral reefs, blocking light, oxygen, and essential nutrients necessary for coral survival.
These coastal transformations result in serious degradation of natural habitats, even though their preservation represents one of the most effective Nature-based Solutions for combating coastal erosion and protecting homes and infrastructure (roads, bridges, etc.) from cyclones and heavy swells.
The most threatened ecosystems include coastal forests, swamp forests (also known as sub-mangroves or pseudo-mangroves), and salt meadows (or halophilic grasslands), which are dominated by the grass species Paspalum vaginatum.
Project Objectives:
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The “Fa’atura te Tahatai” project is a collaborative “research–conservation” initiative focused on the coastal biodiversity of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It aims to carry out restoration operations of native coastal vegetation and to share a protocol based on the best available scientific data, combined with lessons learned from concrete restoration efforts on five sites across three islands in the Society Archipelago (Tahiti, Moorea, and Tetiaroa). The project also includes a comprehensive awareness-raising program, which will contribute in the long term to:
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the restoration of coastal biodiversity in French Polynesia, and
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adaptation to the effects of climate change.
With the involvement of our association’s marine turtle specialists, the project also includes a component dedicated to the restoration and protection of green sea turtle nesting sites, particularly on the two pilot sites of Moorea and Tetiaroa.
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2025 Report on the Tetiaroa Sites:
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Creation of a 54 m² nursery on Motu Onetahi
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Conducting an environmental assessment of our sites
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Growing the plants
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Preparing the 4 ecological restoration sites for planting
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Planting over 1,000 native plants distributed across the 4 sites
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Monitoring the growth of the various planted species
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Partners:
- This is an ambitious “research-conservation” partnership involving the French Committee of the IUCN, the association Te Mana o te Moana, FAPE-Te Ora Naho, and the Tahitian Historical Society, with scientific, technical, and logistical support from the Research Delegation of French Polynesia and the Te Fare Natura Eco-museum.
