Setting Out for the South Pacific
On February 1st, 2025, I traveled to Fiji as part of a research team from Bar-Ilan University’s Oren Levy Lab for Marine Molecular Ecology (LMME). The research took place from February 1st to February 16th, with three main objectives:
- Deploying a 3D-printed ceramic (clay) artificial reef.
This reef was the result of a collaboration between Ezri Tarazi’s lab and Oren Levy’s lab. Alongside the deployment, Oren Arbel, a PhD student from Ezri’s lab, stayed in Ravi Ravi to teach the local community how to create artificial reefs using traditional methods. This part of the project was crucial—not only to compare the effectiveness of traditional vs. modern techniques but also to explore how upscaling traditional methods could offer a cost-effective and community-driven solution for reef restoration. - Deploying eDNA collectors at several sites.
These collectors would allow us to gather environmental DNA to analyze the biodiversity in the areas surrounding our study sites. - Conducting a CBASS (Coral Bleaching and Stress) experiment.
The CBASS (Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System) is a controlled setup designed to simulate different temperature stress levels on coral samples. The system allows researchers to identify corals with higher heat resilience, which is crucial in understanding coral bleaching—one of the biggest threats to reefs due to climate change. By monitoring gene expression under different heat conditions, we aimed to better understand coral adaptation mechanisms.
Getting to Fiji
Our journey started with a flight from Israel to Abu Dhabi, then to Melbourne, and finally to Nadi, Fiji, where we landed on February 2nd. After clearing customs, we took a three- to four-hour taxi ride to Pacific Harbor, a town on the southern coast of the main island.
At Pacific Harbor, we met with the rest of the research team, which included Oren Levy, several professors, PhD students, postdocs, and the scientific manager of the Pacific Blue Foundation. After a short debriefing, we boarded a boat and set out for Beqa Lagoon, where we would conduct most of our research.
Arriving at Lawaki and Team Setup
We arrived at Lawaki Beach House, where most of the team would stay for the next two weeks. However, Oren Arbelspent the first week in Ravi Ravi, staying with the local community and working with them to create artificial reefs using locally sourced clay. This was an important part of the study, allowing a direct comparison of traditional reef restoration techniques to modern 3D printing.
After settling in, we took the rest of the day off to recover from the long journey. The next day, our fieldwork would officially begin.
Dividing the Research Teams
On Monday, we split into three teams to tackle different aspects of the research:
- Team Ezri – Focused on deploying the first metal framework near Beqa Lagoon Resort, which would later serve as the base for the ceramic reef.
- Team Oren (my team) – Headed to the coral nursery to survey different coral species and tag colonies in preparation for the CBASS experiment.
- Team Jossene – Led by Jossene, a postdoc from Oldenburg, Germany, this team worked on setting up the CBASS system, which would expose corals to different heat stress levels and measure their response.
After finishing our tasks, we traveled to Ravi Ravi to check in on Oren Arbel and see how the community was responding to the artificial reef-building lessons. Their enthusiasm and hospitality were inspiring. The engagement of the local community made it clear that this was more than just a scientific project—it was a shared effort to preserve the reefs for future generations.
Acropora formosa blue-tip
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With the initial setup done, we moved into the main phase of research—deploying the artificial reef structures, starting the CBASS experiment, and exploring the vibrant marine environment of Beqa Lagoon.
Lawaki Reef
