Pacific Scholars Present Ocean and Forest Research
Five PhD researchers supported by a Norway-Pacific programme shared studies on coastal water, forest genetics and displacement at a pre-COP31 event in Fiji.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Environmental
Live Poll
Should climate policy prioritize protecting ocean and coastal water health?
Five Pacific PhD scholars presented research at a pre-COP31 event in Nadi, Fiji, covering coastal water quality, forest genetics and climate-related displacement. The scholars are supported by the Norway-Pacific Ocean-Climate Scholarship Programme, a partnership between the University of Bergen and the University of the South Pacific.
Why it matters
The research highlights pressures on coastal waters from urban development, runoff, sewage and shipping, as well as the human cost of displacement from ancestral lands. Presenting it ahead of COP31 places Pacific perspectives into the international climate negotiation process.
The research was presented by five doctoral scholars, with the forest study examining genetic markers in trees across three sites. The ocean produces about half of the breathable oxygen on Earth, though the presented findings on coastal water quality were not quantified in the source material.
The players
University of the South Pacific
The USP is a regional university serving Pacific island nations and a partner in the scholarship programme that supports the presenting researchers.
University of Bergen
The University of Bergen is a Norwegian public research university and co-partner in the Norway-Pacific Ocean-Climate Scholarship Programme.
The details
Laura Williams presented research on the health of coastal waters from Laucala Bay to Suva Harbour, which face pressure from urban development, river runoff, sewage discharge, industrial activity and shipping. Iliesa Koroi presented findings on genetic diversity in Fiji's forest plantations, while Sandhya Kumari examined the effects of forced relocation on the people of Banaba, who left behind ancestral lands and ancestral bones.
Timeline
4 November 2026: USP announced the scholars' pre-COP31 research presentations.
Deeper Dive
The presentations are outputs of the Norway-Pacific Ocean-Climate Scholarship Programme, which funds Pacific doctoral researchers working on ocean and climate questions. Their pre-COP31 presentations extend that programme's reach into the international climate negotiation calendar.
The research on coastal water quality could inform how Pacific communities manage runoff and sewage near urban areas. Findings on forest genetics and displacement may shape future planting and relocation planning across the region.
The takeaway
Local environmental monitoring and traditional ocean knowledge can both inform how coastal communities respond to pollution and climate pressure. Readers interested in these issues can follow research emerging from regional universities.
Further reading
Explore more on Environmental research shaping Pacific climate policy.
Source note: This article includes information reported by SolomonTimes.
Live Poll
Should climate policy prioritize protecting ocean and coastal water health?
