Moorea is a high volcanic island in the Society Islands group of French Polynesia. The island is 84 square miles and has a population of about 16,000. In the last 20 years, population pressure has resulted in overfishing of the nearshore waters.
The University of California at Berkeley Gump Research Station on Moorea has begun working with a local NGO, Te Pu Atitia, to create a cultural center. The center will promote the development of conservation programs based on both traditional knowledge and modern science. Seacology will help fund construction of the center.
Atitia will work with the local population to enforce no-take provisions in 2,394 acres of marine reserve in the Moorea Lagoon. Additionally, Atitia will begin collecting and propagating native plants used for traditional medicine.