Conservation International Expedition Reveals Ecosystem Recovery In Tokelau

Fakaofo, Tokelau – Thursday 10 April 2025 - After a week of intensive scientific assessment across Tokelau's three atolls, a Conservation International-led expedition team has completed their research mission, documenting encouraging signs of ecosystem recovery and establishing new pathways for community-led environmental monitoring.

The expedition, which began on March 27 in Atafu, continued through Nukunonu to Fakaofo, and culminated with final consultations with the Fakaofo Taupulega.

This comprehensive rapid assessment expedition—a collaboration between Conservation International, New Zealand Geographic, the Samoa Conservation Society, and the Tokelau Government’s Economic Department of Natural Resources and Environment (EDNRE), with critical support from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and Blackmores Foundation—represents the most thorough environmental survey of Tokelau's ecosystems in nearly two decades.

The presence of esteemed leaders – including Pulenuku Tinielu Tuumuli of Fakaofo and His Excellency the Ulu of Tokelau, Mr. Esera Fofo Tuisano, at the departure meeting – underscored the significance of this collaborative effort and the deep interest and commitment of Tokelau’s leadership to the protection and sustainable management of their environment.

At the meeting, the expedition team shared preliminary findings, including observations of coral reef recovery following past bleaching events—recovery that appears to be supported by the healthy diversity and abundance of fish species recorded, while on land, some atolls were noted for their thriving seabird populations and absence of invasive myna birds.

The Taupulega councils of each atoll expressed keen anticipation for the team’s return in the coming months with the final expedition report and the Tokelau Environmental Education Resource Kit for Primary Schools—tools that will further empower local communities and future generations in environmental stewardship.

Leausalilo Leilani Duffy of Conservation International Samoa led community consultations across all three atolls, engaging with men's groups (Taulele’a), women's groups (Fatupaepae), and youth representatives. "The message from every community was clear—they want to remain and build in Tokelau and are committed to environmental stewardship that combines their traditional practices with more modern scientific approaches" Duffy explained. "There's strong enthusiasm for adapting the Guardians environmental education program we've co-developed in Samoa to the Tokelauan context, particularly its integration of cultural elements with canoe-making and traditional songs with environmental education."

Along with the Tapulega (Council of Elders), the women's groups across all atolls expressed particular concern about waste management, coral bleaching impacts on important resources like giant clams, and the need to transfer traditional practices to younger generations while incorporating updated scientific approaches.

"These are reefs in recovery," reported Conservation International Aotearoa’s Leausalilo Schannel van Dijken. "Despite evidence of a significant bleaching event in recent years, we're seeing promising signs of regeneration. This recovery has been possible because of healthy fish populations across all trophic levels, including the presence of apex predators like sharks at each site. The traditional leadership of the Taupulega has clearly played a crucial role in maintaining reef health by effectively managing access to ocean-side fishing grounds."

The multi-disciplinary team conducted surveys across all three atolls—Atafu, Nukononu, and Fakaofo—documenting marine biodiversity, lagoon health, invasive species presence, and bird populations while simultaneously training local community members in cutting-edge monitoring techniques.

"What makes this expedition groundbreaking is how we're integrating traditional approaches with cutting-edge technologies like 360 cameras, VR and photogrammetry" added van Dijken. "By training local community members in scientific techniques, we're building a network of citizen scientists who can continue monitoring these reefs after we leave. This blend of innovation and traditional stewardship creates a powerful model for sustainable marine conservation."

Marine assessments revealed that each point around each atoll were Key Biodiversity Areas, due to the consistent presence of sharks, bumphead parrot fish, and coral cods, along with healthy stocks of the Endangered humphead wrasse and turtles.

Lagoon surveys identified that there was less than 50% live coral cover, predominantly Porites - a stone coral species - with evidence of recovering from a bleaching event. Encouragingly there was little algae due to abundant herbivorous fish keeping reefs clean for new coral recruitment. A finding confirmed with offshore reefs.

The team also documented varying giant clam populations across the atolls, with a ten-year export ban instituted in 2015 showing positive impacts for local consumption sustainability.

Meanwhile, surveys on land revealed significant conservation successes, with reduced populations of invasive yellow crazy ants compared to 2012 assessments, and some surveyed islets now entirely free of both rats and invasive ants. The surveys also found increased bird populations, including noddies, sooty terns, frigates, and red-footed boobies, which play vital roles in nutrient cycling on these naturally nutrient-poor atolls.

A key component of the expedition involved training local people in reef photogrammetry techniques for ongoing monitoring. "It’s really cool," remarked Olisha (Olly) Tuisano, a recent marine science graduate from the University of the South Pacific now residing in Fakaofo. The team trained 2-3 people on each atoll, including Ministry of Climate, Oceans and Resilience staff who have already established and are maintaining coral nurseries.

The expedition team also collected environmental DNA (eDNA) samples from each atoll's lagoon and inter-island areas, which will be analyzed to provide a comprehensive baseline of marine biodiversity. Throughout the mission, New Zealand Geographic documented Tokelau's environment and community life in immersive 360-degree virtual reality, creating resources that will allow schools and overseas Tokelauans to experience their environment virtually.

Asi Fangalua Halaleva-Pasilio, director of Tokelau's Department of Economic Development, Natural Resources and Environment emphasized the importance of the expedition's findings: "The Government of Tokelau expresses its gratitude for the continues support from MFAT, Conservation International, NZ Geographic, and the Samoa Conservation Society in conducting these essential environmental surveys. These efforts are crucial in ensuring the sustainability of our environment for future generations. The ongoing challenges posed by climate change are issues that Tokelau cannot address alone, making these expeditions invaluable. The findings from this expedition will undoubtedly enhance our ability to manage and protect our vulnerable environment”

This expedition represents significant milestone of the 'Securing a Polynesian Promise for Climate and Community Resilience' project—a collaborative effort spearheaded by Conservation International, together with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Manaaki programme, and partners across Samoa and Tokelau. The project aims to enhance the capacity of local communities to sustainably manage their marine resources and strengthen their resilience to climate change through a combination of hands-on education, traditional knowledge integrated with scientific research, and citizen-science training.

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