TRACC - A Marine Conservation Story

TRACC - Tropical Research And Conservation Center was set up by Professor Steve Oakley in 2012. This grass roots conservation project has its headquarters on tiny Pom Pom Island, one of many palm encrusted sand heaps, scattered across the end of the Sulu Archipelago, just off Malaysian Borneo.

Prof Steve (1952-2016) worked tirelessly, with his family, volunteers, the Malaysian government, local communities, documentary makers, the scientific community and many more, to establish an area of reef restoration. His aim was to find ways to rejuvenate the vast coral rubble fields - all that is left in much of the area after years of dynamite fishing - to a state capable of supporting apex predators. And he wanted to find cheap, easy, effective methods to do this, using readily available materials, so that Pom Pom could act as a prototype for a model it will be possible to roll out to other communities in economic and humanitarian crisis due to the demise of their coral reefs.