A lack of recovery of the marine ecosystem around the area of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano, surprised an international team of scientists who have been researching the area for several weeks. “We expected to see more biological species in the water column, as well as on the sea floor but that was not the case,” said Chief Scientist Dr. Rebecca Carey on board the RV Investigator, back in Nuku'alofa this week.
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Thursday 25 September 2025
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tuesday 16 September 2025
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Hobart, Australia
In 2022, Tonga’s Hunga Volcano erupted with devastating impact on communities and the surrounding marine environment. The seafloor around this submarine volcano was blanketed with volcanic ash. However, what might look barren is, in fact, slowly coming back to life, an international team of researchers has found, while mapping the volcano and the seafloor this month onboard the RV Investigator.

Tuesday 19 August 2025
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
An ocean research team from Australia led by Chief Scientist Associate, Professor Rebecca Carey, arrives in Tonga tomorrow on the research vessel, RV Investigator, to conduct a 54-day study of the eruption, aftermath and ecosystem recovery following the 2022 eruption of the Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha'apai (HTHH) volcano.