Principal

marine ecology consulting was established in 2006 as the technical wing of the established company Resort Support, in response to an increasing demand for Marine and Coral Reef management, information, education and assessment.

Helen Sykes, the principal, has been in Fiji since 1996, and combines tourism experience with scientific expertise.

Helen Sykes surveying underwater

Helen R Sykes

Principal

Marine Ecology Consulting and Resort Support

Experience and expertise in Marine Management, Sustainable Tourism and community based Marine Conservation

Marine management in Fiji

• With Fiji Dept of Environment, establishing outline mangrove management plan for resort developments in Fiji.
• With Fiji Dept of Environment and JICA, established marine monitoring schedule for small resorts
• With Dept of Fisheries, and USP, Qoliqoli Guideline Working Group member, setting guidelines for marine resource assessment and management for Fiji’s communities
• Principal Author “Status of Coral Reefs in the Fiji Islands” reports 2004, 2006 and 2007
• Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network Fiji National Coordinator, 2002 to date
• Reef Check National Co-coordinator, Fiji Islands, 2002 to date
  (reef monitoring, and teaching monitoring techniques to local people and volunteer groups.)
• Testing and amending MAC monitoring protocol for Fiji Marine Aquarium Trade, 2002 -2005

Sustainable tourism development in Fiji

• The Fiji Integrated Coastal Management Project working group member, setting guidelines for Environmentally Sustainable Development in community-based tourism , 2003
  Designer, author and primary instructor for “BlueStar” programme to provide standards for Marine Sustainable Tourism in Fiji.
• Principal Assessor of the Marine Environment for EIA studies for two major companies in Fiji (Environmental Consultants and Sinclair Knight Mertz), and in independent assessments, for more than 50 projects since 2003
  Designer, author and primary instructor “Marine Tourism Education Course” and “Marine Conservation Education Course” for Fijian snorkel and dive guides and general activities staff, now part of Training and Productivity Authority of Fiji national syllabus
• Board member Fiji Ecotourism Association 2001-2003
• Designing and leading student programmes 2003 to date, for a variety of institutions including:
  • American University International Programmes
    (Texas A&M University,  University of Montana,  University of Florida,  Oregon State University)
  • Educational Travel and Study Abroad (University of Georgia),
  • Institute for Cultural Education
  • People to People,
  • West Virginia University
  • West Valley High School, Fairbanks Alaska
  • Fiji Peace Corps
  • Vanuatu Peace Corps
  • Designer and facilitator of “The Great Fiji Butterflyfish Count”, a Fiji–wide event for the International Year of the Coral Reef, 2008, 2009
  • Development of, and linkages to, LMMA network

Fiji Locally Managed Marine Areas (FLMMA)

• FLMMA Executive Committee member since formation
• Member of FLMMA Biological Monitoring Working group since formation
• Part of working team drafting community reef monitoring techniques 2002
• Project Scientific Advisor to Waitabu Village Community Managed Marine Protected Area, (one of the FLMMA founding projects)  1998 to date