SCUBA Scholarship Goes To Maisy Lus of PNG

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We are very honored to have sponsored Maisy Lus for her Women’s Diver Hall of Fame SCUBA Scholarship. We are so proud of Maisy! She has gained new skills and is now able to access and study the Fish Reefs in Papua New Guinea, that she had a hand in building and managing.

Diving Course

I successfully completed the PADI Open Water Dive Course on May 7th, 2021 and the PADI Advanced Open Water Dive Course on the 26th of June, 2021. I am now certified as an Advanced Open Water Diver – all thanks to the amazing Dive Instructors at Pro Dive PNG, John Miller, Keiko Nakaura, Norbert Rehlis and Thomas Rei. Pro Dive PNG, formally known as “The Dive Center,” is one of the oldest and most prominent diver training facility in PNG.

Women Divers Hall of Fame

Background Information Dedicated to recognizing and honoring the contributions of women divers, the Women Divers Hall of Fame (WDHOF) is an international, non-profit, professional honor society whose member contributions span a wide variety of fields including: The Arts, Science, Medicine, Exploration &technology, Underwater Archaeology, Business, Media, Training & Education, Safety, Commercial & Military Diving, Free Diving, and Underwater sports. WDHOF was created in 1999 and incorporated in 2001 by six founding sponsors: Beneath the Sea, Inc; the Underwater Society of America; the Women’s Scuba Association; Women Underwater; Hilary Viders, Ph.D; and Capt. Kathy A. Weydig. WDHOF, Inc. was granted its 501(c)(3) status in 2002.

WDHOF’s two-part mission is to:

1. To recognize women divers who have made outstanding contributions to the exploration, understanding, safety and enjoyment of our underwater world and

2. Support the underwater world and its associate careers by promoting opportunities for women and men in diving through scholarships, training grants and mentorship opportunities and a worldwide network of industry contacts.

Each year, WDHOF awards scholarships and training grants that provide financial and educational support to individuals of all ages, particularly those who are preparing for professional careers that involve diving. I was selected as the 2021 recipient of the Basic Dive Training Grant, sponsored by WDHOF Member, Patti Gross. I was selected alongside 47 individuals who are passionate about water planet and looking to grow their knowledge and skills. https://www.wdhof.org/scholarship-recipient/maisy-lus

Welcoming Our Papua New Guinea Managing Director, Maisy Lus To The Team

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Maisy Lus
Papua New Guinea Managing Director

Maisy Lus completed a Bachelor of Science (Chemistry) from the University of Papua New Guinea. She is passionate about evidence based environmental monitoring and mitigation of impacts that could be detrimental to the environment, livelihoods and social wellbeing of PNG coastal and Island communities. One of Maisy’s research interest is in cement strength enhancement using different additives for sulphate, chlorite and sea water resistance. Maisy supports the Fish Reef project because of the belief that this project will help minimize long-term negative environmental impacts from development projects and human activity, and sustain the livelihoods of people in our coastal and Island communities.

Read about the full Fish Reef Project Team

ABC Radio Australia Interviews the Fish Reef Project

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Interview in English:

Interview in Pidgin:

Could artificial reefs be the key to rejuvenating fish stocks and marine life?

By Evan Wasuka on Pacific Beat

The community of Fisherman Island outside of Port Moresby is using modern technology to rejuvenate the sea floor and improve local fish stocks.

They’re using a artificial, or purpose-built reef, made from special concrete that encourages fish and marine life to develop.

The first reef units were put in place in May and Dr Wilfed Lus of Reef Fish says the early results have been promising.

“When the current hit the reef unit, they caused a lot of upwelling, with nutrients moving back up to the surface we see a lot fish coming to feed on it,” Dr Lus said.

Fisherman’s Island supplies Port Moresby’s main fish market and entered into an agreement with US-based NGO Fish Reef in 2016.

The community agreed to stop dynamite fishing and in return, the project has been able to set up artificial reefs.

Fish Reef’s CEO Chris Goldblatt says PNG is a good environment for artificial reefs.

“There is no coral bleaching in PNG… [that] makes it unique. It has one of the highest level of biodiversity in the world …there is a population that really respects having healthy oceans,” Mr Goldblatt said.

Reef Fish is keen to now take its technology to other parts of PNG and Melanesia.

Duration: 4min 32sec

Broadcast:

Fish Reef Project interviewed on EMTV in PNG

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Fish Reef Project Interviewed on EMTV in PNG

 

Papua New Guinea will have the ingenuity of an American reefing project to build artificial reefs to save the marine inhabitants in the country from being further depleted by over fishing. The Fish Reef Project, based out of Santa Barbara in the US, has come to PNG to share their expertise at making purpose-built reefs. The first rehabilitation site will be Fisherman’s Island; an island about ten kilometers off-shore from Port Moresby.

-EMTV

PNG Reef Successfully Deployed

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After many years of hard work and dedication, we have successfully deployed all 21 of the long-awaited reefs for coral restoration in Papua New Guinea! We are incredibly proud of the result of such diligence and generosity from our team and from all of our supporters around the world. We will continue to make strides towards building this project into a Global Force For Ocean Health™ — both across the globe and close to home for generations to come.

View Photo Gallery of the Making & Deployment of the Reef