The Lau islands lie on the eastern side of the Fiji archipelago situated east of the Koro Sea and is made up of a chain of about sixty islands and islets of which thirty are inhabited.

The Lau islands cover a land area of 487 square km, with a population of 10,683. An expedition to the Lau islands offer insights, and hope for protecting coral reefs in a changing climate.

The expedition was seeking out species but also clues to the health of these little-explored waters.

With warming seas wreaking havoc on coral reefs and upending fish migrations throughout the Pacific, managing this area will be crucial for ensuring its resilience to climate change and ensuring that it can continue to provide food and livelihoods for the thousands who call the Lau islands home.

The expedition found populations of sharks and reef fish in one of the healthiest reefs anyone on the team had ever seen. They found potentially new fish species, but also the scourge of the oceans: trash