Making Waves: Yapese Students Join Community-led Backyard Buoy Deployment
Making Waves: Yapese Students Join Community-led Backyard Buoy Deployment
Posted July 23, 2026Above: The entire MIEC class and community members, including Chief James Limar of the Gilman community (top center), with their Backyard Buoy. Credit: Yap Divers.
The Micronesian Conservation Coalition (MCC), under the guidance and support of PacIOOS, deployed a Sofar Spotter buoy at Gilman Reef in Yap of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) in June 2026 as part of the Backyard Buoys project. A unique aspect of this deployment was involvement from the Marine Island Ecology Course (MIEC), a 4-week intensive marine science course for students from Yap Catholic High School. The program is co-led by MCC Director and PacIOOS liaison Julie Hartup, alongside Ginger Carter, who serves as MCC Operational Manager, Dive Safety Officer, and PacIOOS liaison. MIEC students spent a day learning about the Backyard Buoys project through hands-on demonstrations, then had the opportunity to observe the buoy deployment in the field. This is the first Backyard Buoy deployment in Yap, and the community is excited to have access to wave data from their oceanic backyard.
Video filmed and edited by PacIOOS Communications & Education Coordinator Ali Chene.
In the classroom, PacIOOS Communications & Education Coordinator Ali Chene shared some background about the Backyard Buoys project across the Pacific Islands region and introduced students to the type of data collected by the buoys and how it can be used by ocean users in their community. The students downloaded the Backyard Buoys application onto their phones and shared it with their friends and families to gain awareness of the project. PacIOOS ocean engineers Andreia Monteiro Queima and Dr. Kate Feloy then shared the design of the buoy mooring and had students help set it up for deployment. They also taught them how to splice the mooring line and shared a bit about their career paths in oceanography and engineering.
MIEC students learning how to splice buoy line in the classroom with Dr. Kate Feloy. Credit: PacIOOS/Ali Chene.
Experiences such as the MIEC can be formative for students interested in any career path. As a lead instructor, Ginger Carter has witnessed this firsthand. “It’s great to see the range of career interests that the students have when starting the course. Whether they want to be a marine biologist, nurse, or real estate agent, MIEC gives them the opportunity to explore their island in ways they never have before, and for some it can be a life changing experience.”
MIEC can be particularly impactful for students interested in STEM fields. For example, Ezekiel Yinug is a senior at Yap Catholic High School. “I want to major in engineering and one of our instructors Andreia is a marine engineer, so I am hoping to learn something from her as I go on with my career as an engineer,” he commented. “I am planning to go to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa for Engineering.” Students like Ezekiel are encouraged to follow their interests through the experiential aspect of the MIEC that goes far beyond the classroom.
Carter says, “It’s always exciting to see them get inspired by what they experience, for some on a personal level, while for others it may be the first step towards a career in marine biology or related STEM fields. We do our best to support them whatever path they are passionate about!”
MIEC student prepping backyard buoy for deployment. Credit: PacIOOS/Ali Chene.
The community chose to deploy the buoy at Gilman Reef on the southernmost tip of Yap. This reef is a popular dive site for locals and tourists alike, as well as a known fishing spot for local fishermen. This buoy will provide important data, such as wave height, direction, period, and water temperature. By placing the buoy in this location, ocean users in Yap will have access to wave information prior to leaving the safety of the lagoon to go out into more exposed water. While Indigenous Knowledge of the ocean is at the foundation of ocean use in Yap and nothing can replace the deep understanding of ocean patterns that elders in the community have, the data provided by the buoy can complement this Traditional Knowledge, particularly as patterns change and shift in a changing climate. The data will also complement another PacIOOS buoy located off Rumung to the North (CDIP 272) so that all sides of Yap have coverage. Chief James Limar of the Gilman Community granted special permission to deploy the buoy in the waters of his village and was present on the day of the deployment, alongside his daughter who was an MIEC participant.
Michael Gilngor, chief of the Baleabaat’ community and General Manager at Yap Divers and the Manta Ray Bay Resort, led the deployment of the buoy and commented on how significant it was to have the students with them in the field during the deployment. “You see their faces being lit up, they are being part of something special.” As a first-time experience for MIEC students, the deployment was markedly special and will help the community know more about their oceanic backyard. Chief Gilngor expressed his support of the project and commented, “Yap is more water territory than land mass, so if you know about your backyard, you can help protect your backyard.”
The MIEC students decided to name the buoy “Yongraq”, which translates to manta ray in Yapese. This name is especially meaningful because Yap is home to a resident population of manta rays and became the world’s first government-backed manta ray sanctuary in 2008. Manta rays are culturally significant to the Yapese people and represent strength and luck. The students from Yap Catholic High School, along with their community and our partners at MCC, are hopeful that this buoy will strengthen their connection to the ocean and keep everyone lucky and safe on the water.
