Sea Women of Melanesia

Under the guidance of Sea Women of Melanesia, these women are learning to survey and protect the coral reefs that hold great significance to their communities.

Led by Director Naomi Longa, the program empowers Indigenous women to take the lead in establishing marine reserves in their own territories.

Naomi Longa, the Program Director for the Sea Women of Melanesia (SWoM) Program has been recognized with the Local Hero Award under the Blue Marine Foundation Ocean Awards 2021, in the United Kingdom on this week

Naomi from West New Britain and Manus has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from UPNG. She is happy with the award and says this recognition will help to bring about more awareness on marine conservation in the region.

Marine conservation requires collective participation from everyone. Recently, young women have taken the lead in marine conservation in Papua New Guinea, with the backing of the Coral Sea Foundation through its Sea Women of Melanesia (SWoM) Program.

The Coral Sea foundation, a brainchild of Australian marine biologist, Dr Andy Lewis, was founded in 2017.

Dr Lewis has been working in marine science and ecotourism in PNG since 2006, and has surveyed the coral reefs in the country at over 165 locations.