In Episode 6 of the Our Shared Ocean podcast we learn how the coral reefs of Guam are among the most diverse in the world with over 5,600 marine species identified to date including coral, algae, fishes, molluscs and more. Its international waters are also home to the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the world’s ocean.

Dr. Peter Houk from the University of Guam Marine Laboratory tells us about life in Micronesia and the issues that are threatening the abundance and distribution of some of the regions’ most iconic coral reefs including rising sea temperatures, altered community dynamics, pollution and the dreaded Crown of Thorns Starfish! We learn about his applied research on the biology of tropical marine organisms, with emphasis on the conservation and development of marine resources of the near-shore waters of Guam and Micronesia.

On a small remote island where all your neighbours are small and remote islands in a large ocean space it is vital that monitoring programs are well co-ordinated and that data observations are available in real-time via low-cost sensors. With this information you can automate the scientific process to inform policy in real-time and improve coral-reef resilience. Peter tells us how and why.

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The Our Shared Ocean Podcast is a funding initiative by the Government of Ireland through Irish Aid and managed by the Marine Institute.