Last night, sitting on the deck of the ship, I smelled fire. Not a fire that would cause the captain of the Hanse Explorer to sound the alarm, but fire from the island off our starboard side. The people of Tabuaeran — which is also known as Fanning Island — were stoking the flames to cook fish that they had caught from the surrounding coral reefs earlier in the day. This was the first time I had smelled smoke during this expedition.

Tali Vardi is a PhD student in our lab. This blog follows her current field work in Jamaica.

A flashback to the recent days spent diving at Kingman Reef.

Yes, we have counted a lot of fish. And yes, we have used simple equipment. But the data collected have been far from simple. As opposed to simply counting all fish to the closest color, we also record the species identity and the size of each individual within our survey area.

Read the latest from the Northern Line Islands Expedition as they travel to the stunning reef at Kingman. Take a glimpse into the past as you read about this near-pristine reef- one of only a few left in the world.