INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE January 27th, 2025
The NGO Tama no te Tairoto demonstrate the global synchronization of coral reefs Papeete, january 27th, 2025 - The Polynesian association Tama no te Tairoto (Children of the Lagoon) organized the largest global observation of the coral Porites rus spawning event on January 18 and 19, 2025, through its citizen science project "Connected by the Reef – Te Firi A’au". This event mobilized over 400 observers from 21 countries, revealing that this reef-building coral has the remarkable ability to synchronize its reproduction across more than 18,000 km over the globe. This extraordinary natural phenomenon was observed simultaneously for the first time in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
A Global Mobilization of Over 400 Observers In response to a call issued by the Polynesian association Tama no te Tairoto in August 2024, observers from 33 countries registered for the project, spanning from Costa Rica to Pacific Islands, Asia, the Indian Ocean, East Africa, and even the Red Sea. Despite logistical challenges—such as identifying Porites rus colonies, locating suitable observation sites, understanding the phenomenon, and being prepared at the right moment—more than 400 observers actively participated in the operation. This included around 300 observers in Polynesia and over 100 participants from 20 other countries, including the Cook Islands, Palmyra Atoll, American Samoa, Fiji, New Caledonia, Australia, Guam, the Philippines, Bali, Indonesia, the Maldives, Mauritius, Reunion Island, Mayotte, Zanzibar, Kenya, and smaller islands such as Chumbe Island, Frégate Island, Christmas Island, and the Cocos Islands. Unfortunately, some sites could not be monitored, often due to unfavorable weather conditions on the observation day or the absence of Porites rus colonies in the participants' areas.
Synchronization Across More Than 18 000 km Although the data remains incomplete as not all observations have yet been submitted by participants, the initial results confirm that the spawning of Porites rus is synchronized on an exceptional scale.