Polynesia (from the Greek words meaning "many islands") is a large grouping of over one thousand islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean.

The Polynesian Triangle encompasses some 10 million square miles of the Pacific Ocean with Hawaii, New Zealand (Aotearoa) and Easter Island (Rapa Nui) at its corners. Its people, who trace their lineage back to a spiritual homeland, are closely connected by language, culture and their seafaring history.

As ideas of sustainability and conservation build momentum around the world, the adoption of traditional and culturally relevant approaches is becoming more popular among indigenous communities.

In Polynesia, an intimate knowledge of the moana, the ocean, and the concept of guardianship is resonating as pressures on reefs and lagoons from both development and climate change.