Fish populations around Atauro Island in Timor-Leste have increased more than fivefold over eight years, according to monitoring results from the Coral Triangle Center (CTC). The findings also show that the coral reef conditions remained broadly stable, providing new insights into the health of marine ecosystems within Timor-Leste’s first integrated marine protected area (MPA), the…
Protecting the ocean starts with the people who live with it every day — the ones who know it best. This World Ocean Day, communities across Atauro Island came together to protect one of Timor-Leste’s most important marine areas. From June 1 to 5, 2026, the Coral Triangle Center (CTC), in collaboration with the Ministry…
Building on the momentum from the initial zoning socializations in Makili Village of Atauro Island in March and April 2025, CTC and its partners continued to support the launch of Tara Bandu, a traditional customary law used to manage natural resources sustainably. Our support included pre-event preparations such as organizing the event structure, selecting the…
The Atauro Island MPA in Timor-Leste was established earlier this year with the support of CTC and local partners to promote the sustainability of marine resources and fish habitat in Timor-Leste. Encompassing 13,252 hectares, this marine protected area is rich in marine resources, making it an ideal location where fish-based products not only provide essential…
Coral Triangle Center (CTC) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of Timor-Leste has renewed its partnership by formally signing a five-year cooperative agreement that will be implemented from 2023 until 2028. The agreement demonstrates CTC’s long-term commitment to assist regional efforts to conserve the marine resources of the Coral Triangle, with a focus on…
To support the effective management of the newly established integrated Atauro Island marine protected area (MPA) in Timor-Leste, CTC has proposed a comprehensive Reef Health Monitoring (RHM) protocol. This protocol will provide guidelines for the monitoring team, as well as government partners and other working partners who are examining coral reefs and fish. So far,…
The Atauro Island MPA in Timor-Leste is an example of international collaboration, communities, local governments and NGOs uniting to protect the environment that sustains us all. On July 11th, the CTC team travelled to Atauro to meet with community leaders and local government representatives, and to celebrate and solidify our collaboration. The trip started with…