February-March 2026: Two workshops to launch SOCPacific2R in New Caledonia
The SOCPacific2R research project kicked off in New Caledonia with a workshop in Nouméa on the 16th of February and a workshop in Koné on the 3rd of March, bringing together 21 stakeholders from the South Province and 24 stakeholders from the North Province, respectively, with each event gathering customary representatives, institutional representatives, civil society representatives, and scientists. The objective of these workshops was twofold: to discuss issues related to reef passages in New Caledonia; and to identify and prioritize study sites on which SOCPacific2R can initially focus its exploration of reef passages. They were organised in connection with the MaHeWa research project on marine heatwaves.
These workshops sparked fruitful discussions on the various uses, living and other beings, and threats associated with reef passages, as well as on best practices and ways to strengthen them to protect these keystone places, and on the meanings and values related to a number of them. They also gave each participant the opportunity to express the kind of involvement they wish to have with SOCPacific2R, ranging from regular updates to active participation in certain research activities.
Click here for links to the full report and a summary of these two workshops (in French)!
