LIVING BY THE SEA: MANGROVES AND SEAGRASS IN KAVIENG.
In early 2026, Tom travelled to Kavieng in Papua New Guinea’s New Ireland Province on assignment for GIZ Pacific. Working alongside the MACBLUE project, the Wildlife Conservation Society Papua New Guinea and coastal communities, he documented the close relationship between local livelihoods and the mangrove forests and seagrass meadows surrounding the region’s islands and villages.
These often-overlooked blue carbon ecosystems provide nursery grounds for fish, protect shorelines, support food security and store significant amounts of carbon. Yet they face increasing pressure from coastal development, pollution, climate change and the unsustainable use of natural resources.
Through photography and a short documentary filmed on land, underwater and from the air, the assignment explores how scientific research, traditional knowledge and locally led conservation are helping communities understand, manage and protect these vital coastal ecosystems.
On assignment for:
Produced under the MACBLUE project in partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society Papua New Guinea, with support from CEPA and SPREP.
LIVING BY THE SEA.
The resulting short documentary brings together the voices of fishers, women, young people, community leaders and conservation practitioners in Kavieng. It explores how mangroves and seagrass meadows sustain coastal livelihoods—and how local knowledge, community monitoring and scientific research can help protect these ecosystems for future generations.
