Ocean Warriors — Laura Scussolini

In 2022 I spent four months on Malolo Lailai in Fiji restoring coral reefs and had the chance to team up with and learn from my Fijian colleagues and friends. Jerome and Kolora are two marine biologists passionate about underwater life in the Malolo barrier reef. The reefs are degrading rapidly and they are fighting for every coral and species that inhabits the clear tropical waters around Malolo. Watching those two ocean warriors saving their local reefs was inspiring and that is why I want to share their story and work at the Malolo Barrier Reef.

IN PROGRESS

Fijian Ocean Warriors

It used to be a place full of life in the past. Now the ground of the outer barrier Reef looks like a warzone with only dead corals left rolling around the floor and leaving no chance for new coral larvae to settle. Due to climate change, therefore warming oceans and more frequent cyclones nearly the whole reef has been structurally degraded. To restore the reefs and bring hope into those lost places, Jerome and Kolora are restoring the reefs with heat adapted corals, that have been tested in their nurseries.

MALOLO BARRIER REEF

This is the biggest nursery around the area with a variety of different genotypes and species growing on ropes and tables. Kolora is monitoring them regularly just like a garden underwater. And the corals are growing just like flowers in all different shapes and colours.

PARADISE NURSERY

Testing new nursery methods with a combination of microfragment ropes and table corals on A-frames got Jerome and the team quite excited. I saw lots of smiles under water that day.

TRYING NEW THINGS

One day in June Kolora showed me parts of the reef they had already restored and on our way freediving through the shallower waters near Nuku Reef searching for heat adapted Corals we found this amazing Acropora with bright purple tips.

SEARCHING FOR SUPERCORALS