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Mokil Atoll, Pohnpei State, one of Micronesia’s twenty-seven inhabited atolls, on which residents can face critical shortages of fresh water during extended droughts, such as attend El Nino years in the western Pacific. |
Graduate research assistant calibrates hand-held GPS unit with pilot en route from Yap to Fais Island, FSM. |
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WERI field team gathers water quality data from a fresh-water well on Fatherai Island, Ulithi Atoll, Yap State. |
Collecting samples of the volcanic soil in the lush tropical forests on the flank of Pohnpei, FSM.
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Coconuts continue to be an important and nutritious source of fluid intake for residents and visitors on atoll islands such as Ulithi, Yap State, FSM. |
WERI field team traveling by boat across Ulithi lagoon. |
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Looking into the lagoon from Fatherai Island, Ulithi. The atolls of Micronesia are places of stunning though fragile natural beauty. |
Fresh-water pool at the bottom of Jinapsan Cave, northern Guam. The uplifted limestone islands of the Mariana Archipelago contain numerous caves of scientific and aesthetic value. |
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Pristine beach on the north end of Fatherai Island, Ulithi Atoll. |
WERI field assistant explores fresh-water cave on Guam, Mariana Islands. |
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Enclosed fresh-water wells, such as this one on Fatherai Island, Ulithi Atoll, provide water for household sanitation, bathing, and domestic animals, as well as emergency drinking supply when rooftop rain catchments and coconut palms fail to produce during droughts. |
Dancers, Fais Island, Yap State, FSM |
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Divers descend through a school of Butterfly Fish in the crystal clear waters of Rota, CNMI. Spectacular diving is one of the many benefits enjoyed by those who live and work in Micronesia. |
Sunset from the beach on Falalop Island, Ulithi Atoll, Yap State. |
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