As part of Work Package 3 (WP3) of the MaHeWa project, Chann, an agro-development student at ISTOM, conducted fieldwork in Reao, French Polynesia, from April 10 to May 8, 2025, under the supervision of Jean Wencélius and Catherine Sabinot (CRIOBE). This work, part of her internship at CRIOBE (February 24 to August 22, 2025), aligns with Task 3.1, focusing on documenting the material (income, food) and immaterial (culture, identity) values of lagoon resources, as well as community memories of marine heatwaves (MHWs).
In Reao, Chann conducted 27 interviews with 32 respondents (fishers, aquaculturists, men, and women) and participated in clam fishing and monitoring activities with the Direction des Ressources Marines (DRM). She used a laminated photo of the atoll to map areas of interest and conducted two free-listing exercises targeting lagoon resources. Initial findings highlight the DRM’s prominent role in local discourse, species scarcity, the return of some species (e.g., jacks), and widespread pluriactivity influenced by MHWs. Clam bleaching and the impacts of swells on copra farming and housing remain vivid in local memory, though younger generations are shifting away from lagoon-based activities.
Chann is preparing further fieldwork in Takaroa (June 4 to July 9, 2025), with her findings set to contribute to the MaHeWa annual meeting in Papeete in August 2025, where she will present her thesis.
