Vanuatu leads Pacific ocean protection as expedition sets sail

The National Geographic Pristine Seas (NGPS) team is leading a month-long expedition across Vanuatu’s waters, which aims to combine deep sea science with community knowledge to update the nation’s marine spatial plan.

The project follows an invitation from the Vanuatu government and marks the 11th stop of Pristine Seas’ Global Expedition, which, since 2023, has surveyed ocean environments across Tuvalu, Fiji, Palau, and Rotuma.

During the expedition, the team will document Vanuatu’s coral reefs, mangrove forests, seabird colonies, and deep sea habitats using underwater cameras, seabird counts, and submersible dives. Prime Minister Jotham Napat says the expedition will provide essential data to guide Vanuatu’s marine protection efforts.

He warns that climate change and overfishing pose major threats to ocean health, stressing the need for large Marine Protected Areas to restore ecosystems and secure resources for the future.

Vanuatu is over 2500 kilometres from Aotearoa, and has a population of 331,470. The South Pacific nation has positioned itself as a global leader in ocean conservation, having endorsed the 30 by 30 campaign, a worldwide commitment to protect 30 per cent of the planet’s land and sea by 2030.

Vanuatu is also a signatory to the High Seas Treaty, which establishes protections for international waters, and has secured a landmark ruling from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) recognising the legal obligations of states to act on climate change.

Paul Rose, the expedition leader for Pristine Seas, praises Vanuatu’s “genuine global environmental leadership” and says their partnership allows the team to go “much further and much longer with sophisticated equipment”.

“We just had two amazing community visits, one in Gaua and one in Mota Lava. They know the ocean. They've got all of it laid out, from history, culture, beliefs, fishing and conservation and all of their methods. They really absolutely know the ocean,” Rose says.

“But they recognise that we can arrive with their support, cooperation, guidance and leadership to fill in the gaps. So by partnering up with what they already know, they then have the full picture to help communities and the government make smart decisions.”

A bay in Sola, Vanua Lava, Vanuatu. Photo/National Geographic Pristine Seas/Chris Thompson

Rose recalls witnessing moments of awe on the voyage, including when the Premier Chief of Mota Lava, who had never deep sea dived before, joined Megan Cook, a deep sea scientist, for a dive in the Argonauta submersible.

“So we had a deep sea scientist who had never been to Vanuatu, but knows the deep sea species. And we had a man who is the premier chief who'd never been deep in his ocean at all. He came up and he was saying, ‘it's a whole new world down there. It's a whole different life’.

“That fresh launch was really something to witness. I found it very moving indeed. So that's it, we're just gathering data at the moment. Everything is new and fresh as it is at the start of an expedition.”

A manta ray swims in the waters of Tuvalu. Photo/National Geographic Pristine Seas/Manu San Félix

Community engagement remains a central part of the mission, as seen during the team’s arrival in Port Vila, where Prime Minister Napat personally greeted them.

Rose appreciated the Prime Minister’s keen interest in their technology, noting the camaraderie that developed during the event. “I really enjoyed that because we put so much work into it. So that was a lovely event that he came to and he made a lot of good friends here. He was really great.”

Traditional welcomes in Gaua and Moto Lava included ceremonial songs, carved gifts, and a unique “water music” performance by 10 women creating rhythmic splashes in shallow water. Rose says the welcomes were “unbelievable”.

Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat and his wife Lettis Napat. Photo/Facebook/Jotham Napat

Scientific work has taken place at multiple depths, with divers reaching up to 50 metres and deep sea cameras deployed to the ocean floor. Rose reports that the reefs at Vot Tande are “truly pristine”, filled with vibrant corals and groupers.

“It really is a meaningful honour to be in a country that is offering true global ocean leadership and it's really working. The ICJ win, the 30 by 30 campaign, it’s amazing for us to follow. And I feel very privileged indeed.”