Conservation and research across the region
There are many government agencies, private institutions and individuals working towards conservation-based policies and practices in the Coral Triangle. The list below is by no means complete. It is kept here as a plain reference to the kinds of organisations operating in each country and the themes they work on.
Disclaimer: coraltriangle.org supports, but does not endorse, any of the agencies, institutions or individuals listed below.
Regional programmes
- Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) — the six-government partnership behind the 2009 Regional Plan of Action, covering seascapes, ecosystem-based fisheries management, marine protected areas, climate adaptation and threatened species.
- Coral Triangle Center — regional training and capacity building for marine protected area managers and coastal communities.
- WWF — long-running programmes across all six countries covering fisheries, turtles, sharks and marine protected areas.
- The Nature Conservancy (TNC) — marine protected area design, monitoring and management support, particularly in Indonesia and the Pacific.
- Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) — reef and fisheries science, spawning aggregation protection and enforcement support.
- Conservation International (CI) — seascape-scale programmes including the Bird's Head Seascape in West Papua.
- The Coral Triangle Atlas — a regional spatial data resource on habitats, protected areas and biodiversity.
By country
Indonesia
WWF-Indonesia, Conservation International Indonesia, The Nature Conservancy Indonesia and the Wildlife Conservation Society Indonesia all maintain substantial marine programmes, alongside national and district government agencies. Work ranges from the Bird's Head Seascape and Raja Ampat MPA network to shark and manta protection and tuna fishery improvement.
Philippines
WWF-Philippines and Conservation International Philippines work with national agencies and a very large number of locally managed marine areas. The Philippines has one of the longest histories of community-based marine management in the region, including the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park and the Verde Island Passage.
Malaysia
WWF-Malaysia operates programmes in Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia covering turtles, reef fish, Semporna's reefs and the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion, working with state parks agencies and fishing communities.
Papua New Guinea
WWF-Pacific, The Nature Conservancy PNG, Conservation International PNG and Mahonia Na Dari — a local marine research and conservation centre in Kimbe Bay — are among the organisations active here, working on locally managed marine areas, reef monitoring and marine education.
Solomon Islands
WWF-Pacific and The Nature Conservancy Pacific support community-based resource management, sea cucumber and reef fishery management, and locally managed marine areas across a very dispersed island geography.
Timor-Leste
Conservation International Timor-Leste and the Haburas Foundation work alongside government agencies in the region's newest state, where Nino Konis Santana National Park protects the country's first and largest marine area.
Species, habitat and policy initiatives
- Sea turtles — global and regional turtle networks coordinating nesting beach protection, bycatch reduction and satellite tracking.
- Sharks and rays — campaigns and sanctuaries aimed at ending shark finning and protecting manta and mobula rays.
- Sustainable tourism — Green Fins and similar programmes providing practical environmental standards for dive and snorkel operators.
- Coral — the Coral Reef Alliance and comparable organisations working on reef resilience, water quality and operator practice.
Where to go next
- The threats these groups addressOverfishing, destructive fishing, climate change, pollution, wildlife trade.
- Raja AmpatWhat a working MPA network looks like in practice.
- Tourism and conservationHow visitor fees and operator standards fund protection.
- Coral Triangle overviewReturn to the homepage for the complete reference.
This directory supports the wider reference on the Coral Triangle. Return to the homepage for the overview of the region, its biodiversity, its fisheries and the finance behind its conservation.