Tropical Aquaculture Research

08/10/2026

28/09/2026

Pearl farmers and artisans from the Ha'api island group of recently attended a two-day financial literacy workshop presented by TAR in collaboration with The Ministry of Fisheries - Tonga as part of the funded livelihoods project. The workshop was attended by 19 participants and covered topics including understanding costs, budgeting, pricing products, cash-flow, record keeping and marketing. Participants noted that the information provided was timely in supporting developing local enterprises and an advanced follow-up workshop was requested for 2027.

We'd like to thank The Ministry of Fisheries - Tonga and the pearl farmers of Ha'api for their continued support.

University of the Sunshine Coast

21/09/2026

The Tropical Aquaculture research team is happy to announce a new publication outlining our research collaboration with the Ministry of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries (Fisheries Division) in Mauritius to enhance local sea cucumber stocks. The paper "Growth, larval development and survival of sandfish Holothuria scabra fed with different microalgae diets in Mauritius" (Gorospe et al.) reports successful hatchery propagation of sandfish in Mauritius as a basis for future sector development. Congratulations to all involved in this significant milestone. The paper published in the Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science is available at the following link:
https://www.ajol.info/index.php/wiojms/article/view/314565

Australian High Commission in Mauritius of the Sunshine Coast

25/08/2026

UniSC TAR researchers are pleased to assist scientists in Mauritius with sea cucumber (sandfish) propagation and to celebrate the first release of resulting progeny. We look forward to ongoing collaboration in this important and exciting project.

Australian High Commission in Mauritius of the Sunshine Coast

11/08/2026

Congratulations to PhD Candidate and researcher, Kelly Brown, on his final PhD publication: 𝐔𝐧𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱: 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐨-𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐞𝐚 𝐜𝐮𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 ‘𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒂 (𝑴𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒚𝒍𝒂) 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒃𝒓𝒂’, in the journal 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.

The publication can be accessed at:
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1861293/full

Authors: Kelly T Brown, Paul C Southgate, Brian Stockwell, Lindon Havimana, Aviti J Mmochi, Rose K Basiita, Nguyen D Q Duy, and Monal M Lal.

This research article builds on an earlier study which reported the presence of a 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱 in sandfish, a high-value tropical sea cucumber exploited in multispecies fisheries across the Indo-Pacific.

Led by Kelly Brown, with support from researchers during his PhD, Assc Prof Monal Lal and Prof Paul Southgate, this research was a global collaboration involving eight countries and 17 institutions across Tanzania, Madagascar, Zambia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Australia, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

Seven discrete Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) were identified with varying degrees of differentiation, translating to respective regional fishery Management Units: (1) Tanzania; (2) Madagascar; (3) Vietnam; (4) the Philippines; (5) Northern Territory (Australia) and Queensland (Australia); (6) Papua New Guinea with the Solomon Islands; and (7) Fiji.

Sandfish was previously understood to be a single species widely-distributed across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. These findings offer valuable insights on the microevolutionary forces shaping this species complex, and inform conservation of wild sandfish populations, replenishment of depleted stocks, accurate fishery management, regional translocation initiatives and sustainable mariculture for the bêche-de-mer trade.

University of the Sunshine Coast Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research The University of the South Pacific

10/08/2026

“Seaweed farming offers economic potential, supporting vulnerable communities while promoting sustainability and effective resource management,” the paper published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Research said.
Read now: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2026.103166

ACPIR researcher Associate Professor Saskia de Klerk has co-written a scoping review exploring seaweed farming as a sustainable solution to environmental challenges and food security in the Asia-Pacific region. The study highlights seaweed applications in food, biofuels, and cosmetics, that can diversify incomes.
“Seaweed farming offers economic potential, supporting vulnerable communities while promoting sustainability and effective resource management,” the paper published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Research said.
Read now: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2026.103166

05/08/2026

was happy to facilitate a meeting between mabé pearl farmers, researchers, artisans, retailers and the Ministry of Fisheries, Fiji, as part of the -funded project.

Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research University of the Sunshine Coast Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research

31/07/2026

WWF-Pacific is looking for a Great Sea Reef Project Officer to support conservation, climate resilience, and community-led initiatives across Fiji’s iconic Great Sea Reef (Cakaulevu)—the country’s largest barrier reef and one of the longest continuous barrier reef systems in the world.

Based in Suva, you'll work with communities, government agencies, partners, and volunteers to help deliver projects that protect marine ecosystems, strengthen climate resilience, and support sustainable livelihoods. Full story below 👇

WWF Pacific

🌊 Join WWF-Pacific and Help Protect Fiji’s Great Sea Reef! 🐠

Are you passionate about marine conservation, community engagement, and creating lasting impact for people and nature?

WWF-Pacific is looking for a Great Sea Reef Project Officer to support conservation, climate resilience, and community-led initiatives across Fiji’s iconic Great Sea Reef (Cakaulevu)—the country’s largest barrier reef and one of the longest continuous barrier reef systems in the world.

Based in Suva, you'll work with communities, government agencies, partners, and volunteers to help deliver projects that protect marine ecosystems, strengthen climate resilience, and support sustainable livelihoods.

✅ Marine science or related qualification
✅ At least 3 years' relevant experience
✅ Passion for conservation and community impact

If you're ready to contribute to a People and Nature Positive Pacific, we'd love to hear from you.

📍 Suva, Fiji
📅 Applications close: 11 August 2026

Apply now through WWF-Pacific Careers 👉 https://shorturl.at/P4Evm