It is no secret that throughout Micronesia, fishermen often feel as if they are competing with sharks for their catch. This negative public perception toward sharks can make it difficult to promote shark conservation. Although fisherman in Guam blam e sharks for interfering with subsistence fishing, there is no evidence of this actually occurring. This research project was developed to collect information on species and abundance of pelagic sharks that occur in Guam’s waters. To do this we will use Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUVs), which attract sharks then captures them on video. This data can be documented and shared with local fishermen and resource managers to better understand shark species and activity

This valuable research is a continuing project from Julie Hartup’s master’s thesis at the University of Guam. Our Guam manta rays are targeting fish spawning aggregations of three species of surgeonfish to feed off their spawn. We have documented two locations where this is occurring with more sites yet identified. This ongoing project will locate other fish spawning aggregations around the island to document locations where manta rays are feeding. In addition, we will continue to collect data on each individual Guam manta ray and sighting, and locate manta ray cleaning stations. This work is crucial to better manage Guam’s unique and vulnerable marine resources.

The Ulithi Marine Turtle Program is a community conservation project based in Ulithi Atoll, located 115 miles northeast of Yap, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Green and hawksbill turtles forage and nest throughout the FSM and as elsewhere in the world, they are highly vulnerable to fisheries, marine debris and disease. Turtles are also an important part of the local culture, revered by the Ulithian people and carefully managed to this day by tribal law and age-old tradition. Recognizing the mounting threats to turtles everywhere and their cultural importance locally, community-based research began there in 2005 with goals to learn more about the green turtle nesting population on Ulithi’s uninhabited islands and to promote sea turtle conservation and management. Since, more than 3,000 green turtles nesting on the remote and uninhabited islands of Gielop and Loosiep have been tagged and assessed. In addition, 12 female green turtles were fitted with satellite transmitters and successfully tracked to their foraging grounds in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Japan. Data generated by the project have been published and used by SWOT, NOAA and other institutions to help understand local and global trends in turtle abundance. In moving forward with the work in Ulithi, the goal is to continue to broaden the program by expanding to other islands, promoting awareness through education, and working more closely with partners.