USP kicks off 2011 lectures

Last night saw the first of a series of USP public lectures that will be starting up this year, held at the USP branch here in Rarotonga. The speakers lecturing last night were Teina Rongo and Ana Tiraa, two Cook Island researchers who are leading the country’s examination of the potential impacts of climate change.
Roughly twenty people attended the lectures, which started at 7pm and continued through to 8.30pm.
Ana Tiraa spoke first, about nature’s responses to climate change. Ana graduated from USP in Fiji, with a Bachelor of Science and Environmental Studies. She is now working towards her Masters degree at the Asian Institute of Technology, in Thailand. Her current research is focused largely on the community in Matavera.
Ana has done extensive work for the environment, and has worked at Te Ipukarea Society, the National Environment Service, and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Program based in Apia, Samoa. She has published several works on raui, biodiversity and on natural resources and their response to climate change. When asked what she believes the Cook Islands need to do to reduce the impact of climate change in our country, she responded, “We need to reduce the pressure we’re putting on the environment. Recycling, decreasing the amount of nutrients put into our waters – it’s the little things; they go a long way.”
Following Ana’s talk was Teina’s lecture on his research about the relationships between ciguatera poisoning and the climate change with reference to the Rarotonga lagoons. Teina comes from a family of keen environmentalists, and earned his master’s degree in biology at the University of Guam in 2005. He is now working towards his PhD in the Department of Biological Sciences, at the Florida Institute of Technology.
Teina has also worked for the National Environment Service as well as the Ministry of Marine Resources. He has published extensively, including an article in the Journal of Biogeography proposing that ciguatera outbreaks are linked to the climate and that these climate induced outbreaks have prompted the historical migrations of Polynesians. Teina stated that ciguatera outbreaks are more common in wider lagoons, and warned against fishing in Titikaveka and Ngatangiia.
According to Teina’s research, Rarotonga have the worst recorded cases of ciguatera poisoning in the South Pacific, with 52% of Cook Islanders having experienced ciguatera poisoning at some point in their lives. The good news is that over 80% of Cook islanders now consume reef fish with caution.
Afterwards, when both lecturers were asked what they hope to do once they have achieved their degrees, both were firm in replying that they want to utilize their skills within Rarotonga, and work locally. Teina hopes to set up a research center with his wife Jackie, and to do this, they are hoping to receive funding and grants from overseas. Ana will be doing consultancy work within the region – “it just depends what work is out there,” she says.
Teina says if his plans fall through, he’ll get a job “working on the taro patch.”

By Piakura Tiraa-Passfield

Headlines : Times 290 02 March 2009
- Lucky $1,000 winner
- Century old palm trees and the French connection
- Koutu Nui takes part in Raui meeting in Moorea
- WOM Award Dinner for Ake Hosea-Winterflood
- Island of Atiu to host Koutu Nui AGM in June 2009