Facilities

In 2016 Coral Reef Research Foundation built a new research lab! Come and see how our facilities might support your next research project in Palau.

LABORATORY

CRRF’s new 4,000 square foot research laboratory was completed in December, 2016 on Malakal Island in Koror, adjacent to the water with its own sea wall and floating dock. It is the base for research projects of both resident staff and visiting scientists. The laboratory includes two “visitor labs” for visiting researchers, additional work space with scientific instrumentation, library and conference room, office space with essential telecommunications and a workshop. Adjacent to the lab is a dive locker. In its entirety, the laboratory is designed to meet the needs of field researchers, to allow maximal exploitation of precious research time in the field.

Laboratory equipment includes items commonly found at marine field laboratories, such as microscopes, balances, glassware, computers, office equipment, scanners, and printers. We also have a broad suite of field and oceanographic instruments, such as Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs), Conductivity Temperature probes (CTs), hundreds of water temperature loggers, multi-probe sondes and weather stations. At any given moment, much of this equipment is in the field, gathering data rather than sitting of a shelf. CRRF also assists a number of our collaborators in maintaining networks of field sampling with their instrumentation, such as wave gauges, XMet weather stations, coastal surveillance radar systems and HF Radar current measuring systems.

We maintain a dive locker with compressor, scuba equipment and gases for advanced (technical) diving.

VESSELS

CRRF has a small fleet of outboard vessels providing working flexibility to take on many marine science tasks. Two high speed fiberglass outboard boats, a 25 ft (8m) Yamaha boat (PJ) with a 150 HP outboard and a 21ft (7m) Boston Whaler Outrage (150HP), are used for general diving and transportation needs within the overall main Palau reef and island area. For more heavy duty oceanographic and survey work up to 20 miles offshore, we have a 40ft (12m) aluminum catamaran (Kemedukl) with twin 250HP outboards. The Kemedukl provides a large, stable work platform with a rear A-frame, winch and dedicated multibeam sonar system. All our boats are berthed at the lab at our floating dock, hence are immediately accessible day or night.

ACCOMMODATION

The CRRF dorm has 3 rooms: one double bed and 2 singles, 2 shared bathrooms and a shared kitchen/living area. Laundry facilities are provided. The dorm is an air conditioned living space and is upstairs on the north side of the building.