Palau International Coral Reef Center-PICRC

🌊✨ Coral Restoration Night Lectures Recap! ✨🌊🪸

Over two evenings, we explored coral restoration efforts in Palau and beyond — from cutting-edge science to community-led action. A huge thank you to our incredible speakers for sharing their knowledge, stories, and passion for reef conservation. 💬🧪

And thank you to everyone who came along, asked questions, and showed your support for healthy oceans. 💙

📣 Farewell & thank you, Simon! 🐠🌿

We recently said goodbye to our Aquarium volunteer, Simon Pernpeintner, who spent nearly three months with us here at PICRC. Simon joined us on March 31, bringing with him a BSc in Biology from Universität Bremen, with a focus in Ecology and hands-on experience working with reef organisms in aquaria.

During his time at the Aquarium, Simon was a key part of our daily care and maintenance team and supported several research projects. He contributed to coral and urchin spawning efforts in April and gained valuable experience in marine reproductive biology and reef restoration techniques.

Simon also designed and carried out his own research project exploring how co-culturing juvenile corals with snails could help improve coral survival by reducing algal overgrowth—a creative and meaningful contribution to our team’s work. 🐌🌱

Thank you, Simon, for your hard work! You’ve been a fantastic part of the team, and we wish you all the best in your next chapter. 💙

PICRC Bids Farewell to German Volunteer Simon Pernpeintner - Palau International Coral Reef Center The Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC) recently bid farewell to German volunteer Simon Pernpeintner, who completed nearly three months of service with the Center’s Aquarium team. Simon began his placement on March 31, bringing with him a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the Universit...

🌊 A huge thank you to the 16 incredible teachers who joined us for our Educators-in-Science Workshop!

Over the past two days, these dedicated science educators explored hands-on classroom activities and dove into PICRC’s work across Palau’s marine ecosystems. 🌿🐠

Their journey included:
🔬 Ocean acidification and coral restoration workshops
🐬 Insights into whale and dolphin surveys
🐟 A reef fish dissection
🦠 Plankton investigations under the microscope
🐡 A behind-the-scenes aquarium tour
📽 A live video call with the crew aboard E/V Nautilus
🧠 Research presentations from our scientists

We’re wrapping up the week with an exciting tour of NOAA’s Okeanos Explorer this Friday — stay tuned!

✨Don’t miss our Coral Restoration Night Lectures, happening this week on July 16 & 17 at PICRC! 🪸👩‍🔬

Join us from 6:00pm to 7:30pm to hear from local and international experts on coral restoration efforts in Palau and beyond. Bring your questions—we’ve saved time for discussion!

🧬 Making It to Adulthood 🐣➡️🐠

In the ocean, survival isn’t guaranteed — and every species has its own strategy to give the next generation a fighting chance. 💪

Some flood the sea with thousands of eggs 🎯, others invest in just one baby and protect it fiercely 🛡️.

👇 Keep scrolling to see how different marine animals stack the odds for their young!

📢 Meet Our Interns!

Read all about Palau Community College students Aleeya Uraziri and Daissy Demei’s experiences interning at PICRC! From fieldwork to lab time, their journey gave them a hands-on look at marine research in action. 🌊🔬

PCC Students Gain Hands-On Marine Science Experience at PICRC - Palau International Coral Reef Center The Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC) recently bid farewell to Palau Community College (PCC) students Aleeya Uraziri and Daissy Demei, who completed a one-month internship at the Center as part of their Environmental Marine Science program. The internship fulfilled the final course requi...

🎉 Congratulations to our CEO, Roxanne Siual Blesam, and Palau Aquarium Aquarist, Jay Elias, on successfully earning their PADI Open Water Dive Certification! 🐠🌊

A huge thank you to Sam's Tours for always providing expert training and helping build our team’s capacity in the water. 👏🤿

✨ Please note: The Center will be closed on Wednesday, July 9 in observance of Constitution Day.

We will resume normal operating hours on Thursday. 🪸

Mesulang!

🏃‍♀️🚴‍♂️🏊‍♂️ The triathlete

Blink and you'll miss them!

Built for speed and endurance, marlin are some of the fastest, most relentless swimmers in the sea. They travel hundreds of miles without slowing down — just like triathletes powering through three disciplines in one race. With streamlined bodies and tireless energy, marlin are born to move, always chasing the next horizon. Triathletes and marlin: unstoppable in motion.

Good luck to all the athletes competing over the final few days! 💪

A 4-year, $1.8M project to support the Palau National Marine Sanctuary (PNMS) has wrapped up with major achievements:

✅ 39 experts developed a Science & Monitoring Strategy
🎶 Student-led videos, a PNMS song contest & deep-sea exploration featured in outreach
🐋 Whales & dolphins recorded—incl. first scientific sightings of the sei whale, dwarf s***m whale, and Longman’s beaked whale in Palau!
🛰️ Upgraded surveillance with drones & training
🎣 Support for local tuna fisheries
🎉 200+ people celebrated the PNMS anniversary each year
Huge thanks to all partners, especially UNDP, GEF, MOJ and MAFE, for helping protect our ocean while empowering our people. 💙

Project Supporting the Palau National Marine Sanctuary Ends Successfully - Palau International Coral Reef Center A national project to strengthen management efforts for the Palau National Marine Sanctuary (PNMS) has successfully concluded after four years and $1.8 million invested in fisheries management, enforcement & surveillance, and research and outreach efforts. Funded by the Global Environment Facility (...

🌊 Join Us for Kaustory Series: Coral Restoration! 🌿
📅 July 16 & 17
🕕 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
📍 Palau International Coral Reef Center

Dive into inspiring conversations about coral restoration with experts from Palau and around the world! 🌍🐠

Learn about innovative restoration projects and get your questions answered during our engaging night lectures.

Let’s work together to protect our reefs! 💬🌺