Mission Statement

The Coral Sea borders the Great Barrier Reef and the island archipelagos of Melanesia, and contains marine ecosystems of exceptionally high quality and biodiversity. Our aim is to raise awareness of the ecological and social value the Coral Sea and Eastern Coral Triangle, and to be proactive in its sustainable management. This region contains the last great reservoir of ultra-diverse coral reef in the world, yet most of it is remote and rarely visited, and is in urgent need of our assistance. Combining an ethos of science, ecotourism, and sustainability, the Coral Sea Foundation works with traditional owners to develop marine reserves that enhance fisheries and ecotourism resources, while improving the basic quality of life of people in our partner villages.

The Sea Women of Melanesia program

An important aspect of our strategy involves selecting intelligent and determined Melanesian women and training them in conservation theory, scuba diving and marine biology survey techniques so they have the skills to communicate the need for marine reserves to their local communities and are able to identify areas suitable for marine protected areas on their own coral reefs.

Several UN studies have shown that educating girls and young women in developing nations is a very practical way to achieve lower birthrates and positive outcomes in environmental management, along with a slew of other social benefits. At the Coral Sea Foundation, we are committed to implementing that that strategy in a way that benefits both the people and coral reefs of Melanesia.

This is what your donation provides:

Support for the coral reef conservation work of our existing Sea Women team in Melanesia, including humanitarian aid to our partner villages. In order to encourage community participation in the marine reserve process, we support our villages with clean water infrastructure, medical aid, and educational materials for local schools.
Your donation will also support the enrollment of new women into our training program.

Donation of $30 - $70

• Basic Coral Reef Field guide
• Malaria Prevention pack - Treated Mosquito Net, Mosquito Coils, insect repellent, Artemisin.
• School pack – pens, notebooks, textbooks, school bags
• Basic Kitchen Pack – Pots, frypans, buckets, knives, food coverings, kitchen utensils, water container.

Donation of $70 - $200

• Sea Woman Freedive Kit – Mask, snorkel, Fins, Rashvest
• Mid-range First Aid Pack

Donation of $200 - $1,000

• Sea Woman Underwater camera & GPS combo
• Sea Woman - one week marine survey and community awareness trip
• Small Water tank and collector

Donation of $1,500 - $2,000

• Sea Woman Open Water SCUBA course at Conflict Islands Conservation facility
• Medium water tank and collector
• Local University or Tech College Fees – one year

Donation of $8,000 - $10,000

• Sea Woman six-week scuba diving and marine science intensive training on the Great Barrier Reef
• Combined Sea Woman & Coral Sea Foundation marine reserve survey and setup expedition - PNG or Solomon Islands
• Uni fees for 3-year undergraduate biology degree UPNG

This program already has an excellent track record of results, with 20 PNG women and 8 Solomon Islands women trained to date and more than 18 new marine reserve areas in the pipeline within Papua New Guinea.

Check our Sea Women of Melanesia YouTube Playlist for footage of our recent training programs!
Highlight Videos here:
Thanks very much for considering our fundraiser!

Best wishes,
Ms Naomi Longa
Director - Sea Women of Melanesia Program
[Sea Women of Melanesia Program]
(http://www.coralseafoundation.net/seawomenofmelanesia.php)

Coral Sea Foundation

The Coral Triangle Marine Conservation Action

is a collaboration between:
Coral Sea Foundation
PNG Yacht Services
Melanesian Luxury Yacht Services
PNG Center for Locally Managed Areas

Mission Statement

The Coral Sea borders the Great Barrier Reef and the island archipelagos of Melanesia, and contains marine ecosystems of exceptionally high quality and biodiversity. Our aim is to raise awareness of the ecological and social value the Coral Sea and Eastern Coral Triangle, and to be proactive in its sustainable management. This region contains the last great reservoir of ultra-diverse coral reef in the world, yet most of it is remote and rarely visited, and is in urgent need of our assistance.
Combining an ethos of marine science, gender equity, and sustainability, the Coral Sea Foundation and our partners work with traditional owners to develop marine reserves that enhance fisheries and ecotourism resources, while improving the basic quality of life of people in our partner villages through delivery of clean water infrastructure, medical supplies, and educational materials.

Expedition Program

The Coral Sea Foundation has access to the 24m liveaboard dive vessel MY Golden Dawn which is being provided at cost to support our program of marine conservation and humanitarian aid delivery in 2021. This vessel has a strong track-record of operations in PNG and is set up for scuba and nitrox diving with accommodation for 10 personnel in air-conditioned comfort. With twin tenders and and a range of 1,200km it is an ideal platform to facilitate the remote area operations of the Coral Sea Foundation in the waters of Melanesia.

Here is what your donation supports:

Any donations, large or small, will contribute to the effectiveness of our efforts to accelerate marine reserve creation in the eastern Coral Triangle and deliver humanitarian aid to our partner communities.

MY Golden Dawn is being provided for the Coral Sea Foundation's use at a subsidized cost, however we still need to raise about $25,000 per expedition to help cover the operating costs of the vessel, salary for the PNG crew, travel costs for our scientific team, and to purchase the reef monitoring equipment and humanitarian aid for our partner villages.

Our Sea Women of Melanesia team will also be represented on each expedition and will be working to train local women in our partner communities, and so funds raised here will also support wages and equipment for the Sea Women team leaders.
Check our Sea Women of Melanesia YouTube Playlist for footage of our recent training programs!
Highlight Videos here:

Donation of $30 - $70

• Basic Coral Reef Field guide
• Malaria Prevention pack - Treated Mosquito Net, Mosquito Coils, insect repellent, Artemisin.
• School pack – pens, notebooks, textbooks, school bags
• Basic Kitchen Pack – Pots, frypans, buckets, knives, food coverings, kitchen utensils, water container.

Donation of $70 - $200

• Reef Monitor Freedive Kit – Mask, snorkel, Fins, Rashvest
• Mid-range First Aid Pack

Donation of $200 - $1,000

• Reef Monitor Underwater camera & GPS combo
• Small Water tank and collector
• Comprehensive first aid kit

Donation of $1,500 - $2,000

• Medium water tank and collector
• Comprehensive first aid kit and medical supplies for village

The Coral Sea Foundation already has an excellent track record of results over the last two years, with 20 PNG women and 8 Solomon Islands women trained to date through our Sea Women of Melanesia Program and more than 18 new marine reserve areas in the pipeline within Papua New Guinea. We have completed expeditions into the remote Louisiade Archipelago and the D'Entrecasteaux Islands of PNG, and the western province of Solomon Islands, and delivered reef monitoring equipment and first aid supplies to 22 of our partner villages. This work kick-started the process of registering another 17 marine reserves in the heart of the eastern Coral Triangle, one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, and the video productions from these trips have revealed the wonders of this incredible region to thousands of online viewers You tube channel.

With access to a dedicated expedition vessel in 2021, and your support, we are excited and inspired to build on these results and deliver sustainable conservation outcomes for the coral reefs and people of Melanesia.

Thank you for considering our project.
Dr Andy Lewis
Executive Director - Coral Sea Foundation