Last year Raja Ampat was recognized as one of the most beautiful places in the world. Combining its highly diverse and abundant marine biota with spectacular scenery above and below water, the ‘Four Kings’ have quickly become a Mecca for scuba divers, snorkelers, underwater photographers, hikers, birdwatchers and kayakers. The rapid expansion of tourism has brought new economic opportunities to the region, but the negative effects of this growth remain uncertain.

To fully catalog Raja Ampat’s biodiversity; understand the superb resilience of its coral reefs to human pressure; facilitate the reintroduction of extirpated species; promote education, conservation and research; and investigate the impacts of the rapid growth of tourism in the area, it is essential to establish a leading-edge Field Research Station in the archipelago.