Connecting Culture and Marine Biodiversity in Palau

Lebuu’s Voyage Cultural Liason and Palauan government civil servant Manzel Ngirmeriil explains the deep connections between Palaun heritage and ocean exploration in this highlight. Manzel and a group of Palauan stakeholders have been developing protocols for naming new species and seamounts discovered during the Lebuu’s Voyage expeditions. The people of Palau have a long and deep historical connection to the ocean, which we honor during our exploration in and around the Palau National Marine Sanctuary. 

The NA167 and NA168 expeditions were named Lebuu’s Voyage by a group of Palauan stakeholders as part of a strategic effort to advance traditional knowledge and best practices in tandem with scientific understanding. This process has been facilitated by the Bureau of Cultural & Historical Preservation Office, OneReef, and the Palau International Coral Reef Center and funded by the NOAA Ocean Exploration via the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute through Ocean Exploration Trust.