He is the Three Minute Thesis Championship Winner and People’s Choice Winner.

The assessment: it is possible to identify the sex of a turtle by taking a blood drop sample. (A hormone would be present in male specimens and absent in female specimens).

Click here for the video.

As part of their degree program in ecology (marine ecosystems modules, coordinated by Prof. Nabila Gaertner-Mazouni), students from the University of French Polynesia enrolled in a 3 years biology licence, benefited from a Reefcheck training program. Reef Check Polynésie, coordinated by our non-profit organization Te mana o te moana, aims at involving motivated volunteers in Reefcheck monitoring program, as coral reef ecosystems are rich and vital for many insular populations and consist of a biodiversity hotspot. The collected data is then sent to Reef Check International and serves as a base both for scientific programs and for better management of marine areas. Students participated to both practical and theorical sessions animated by the marine biologist Matthieu Petit, which aimed at providing to the students all the necessary tools to be able to evaluate coral reefs health status and to participate to the census of many fish and invertebrate species.

They swam through Punaauia’s lagoon to count for butterfly fish, groupers or clams, note for bleaching events and mesure the coral cover. At the end of their training, the students have been certified Reef Check Ecodiver IndoPacifique, an internationally recognized certification. Thanks to this certification, they will be able to stay involved in the polynesian reefcheck network to contribute for a better understanding of coral reefs in French Polynesia.

This original initiative in Polynesia was made possible thanks to a partnership with the University of French Polynesia, our non profit organisation Te mana o te moana, Reef Check France and Reef Check International.

• • 5 trainings have been organised on Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora, and 29 new volunteers have been certified this year. At the end of 2016, Reef Check Polynesia is counting 34 volunteers who participate regularly in the program.
  • 11 monitored sites (called « stations ») have been created, including 10 on Moorea and 1 on Raiatea. Added to already monitored sites, there are now 30 stations on Moorea, 10 on Tahiti, 5 on Raiatea and 22 on Bora Bora by Reef Check Polynesia. On other islands, some sites have been created before 2015 and will need to be followed again.
  • 23 site monitorings have been organised on Moorea, 2 on Tahiti, and 2 on Raiatea, as well as 63 in Bora Bora by Denis Schneider’s team as part of the Pavillon Bleu’s label.

Volunteers participating to the Reef Check’s program help scientists by giving alerts in cases of the observation of mass coral bleaching events.

This year has also been a busy year in events for Reef Chack Polynesia, with participation to the Reef Check France meeting in February in Paris, animations to many day events, participation to the shooting of a documentary on coral reefs and Tara expedition, and Reef check animations for kids in schools of Austral islands with our animators.

At least, 2 sessions were delivered and 20 inhabitants of the both islands were  trained as “Reef Check Ecodivers”. They are now ready for the monitoring of reefs! They will detect as scientists new disturbance and will get a better knowledge of the coral reefs’ health of their island. The datas collected every year will help scientists to get information from the far away islands where no scientific monitoring is done.
Thanks to Air Tahiti Nui, Ifrecor Polynésie and Reef Check France that helped us to set up the Reef Check Program and trained volunteers during the all year long (we will organise a session in the far away islands from French Polynesia soon). We also would like to thank the city hall of Punaauia and Martine from Pa’e Pa’e no te ora foundation that permit us to deliver the training sessions on Tahiti and also the Tamari’i Pointe des Pêcheurs foundation that participated to the event.

Congratulations to the freshly trained Ecodivers :

From Moorea : Jérôme, Hoani, Arthur, Clément, Prisca, Sylvie, Anthony, Magali, Anais et Yann. And from Tahiti : Marc, Faimano, Paul, Hélène, Reynald, Hereiti, David, Thierry et Noëlle, and Martine.

<< Click here to read the all story of Ariti

Ariti, the loggerhead turtle rescued by a polynesian fisherman and released on May 2013, equipped by 2 satellite tags is giving her last postions. After having transmitted for 221 days and traveled 7,386 km, Ariti is presently well-above the equator heading northwest in the direction of the Caroline Islands, Federated States of Micronesia.

Remember that this project is conducted thanks to the NOAA Administration (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and in partnership with the Direction of the Environment of French Polynesia.

>> Click here to find out all the news of Ariti

On December 1st, Ariti crossed the Equator just north of Nauru. She is currently in the North Pacific Ocean.  In total and at this time, Ariti shas travelled over 6,500 km during the 194 days since being released off Tahiti-iti!!!

Remind that this project is conducted thanks to the NOAA Administration (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and in partnership with the Direction of the Environment of French Polynesia.

>> Click here to see the all story of Ariti step by step :

the release – 21 days after her post release –  at  73 days after the realease – arrival in Fidjii –  leaving Fidjii

To continue our actions, we need your help and there’s only 6 days left before losing the all fund!!!

You can help us by sharing the information (6 more days left) or by making a donation on the following site: http://www.kisskissbankbank.com/une-clinique-pour-tortues-marines-en-polynesie