We wrote this story as a part of a special issue of the Journal of Coastal Research called “Stories from the Field, 50 Years of Coastal Fieldwork: 1970-2020”.

The study discussed in this paper is part of a Ph.D. research project led by Gaëlle Faivre, aimed at improving our understanding of coastal processes within the lagoon system using modelling and data analysis. The case study was Erakor lagoon in Vanuatu

We lead a-month data collection in Efate Island to be able to assess erosion, flooding and water quality risks in Erakor lagoon. We collected waves, water levels, currents, topography and water quality data.

The data collection was carried out during May 2019. Organising data collection in Vanuatu from Australia is very challenging, particularly with limited resources and the many unplanned situations that can happen once in the field. For example, instruments placed in the fields were often removed by the curiosity of local inhabitants. Community engagement was the key of this data collection. In Vanuatu, all lands are private, and authorization is required by the government and local chief to collect data.

This story shows how situations can change rapidly and how community engagement is important when deploying instruments in the context of South Pacific Islands. Good lessons were learnt from this data campaign for organising future data collection in Vanuatu or other South Pacific Islands. This data campaign ended by a workshop with the chiefs of Erakor and local communities to present them the preliminary results and we discussed the next steps of this research. Their involvement and motivation to find solution to protect their ecosystems and continue this research was very encouraging to lead this research and get successful outcomes.