At the Heart of the Highlights of Tetiaroa: Discover our 2nd Quarterly report
From fieldwork on the atoll to international outreach, the past quarter has been rich in action and impact. This second edition of our quarterly report offers a comprehensive look at the many facets of Tetiaroa Society’s mission — from scientific research and conservation efforts to education programs and cultural initiatives. With strong collaborations and our presence at UNOC 2025, this quarter took us from Tetiaroa to the global stage.
Read it!
Nature Notes
These queens of the sky are called Ōtaha in Tahitian
It started with an Idea
It is my hope that the island will serve as an ecological model... not only a tourist preserve but a marine preserve as well a place for all manner of scientific research and investigation...
- Marlon Brando
About us
THE MISSION of Tetiaroa Society is to ensure island and coastal communities have a future as rich as their past - strengthening their resilience to global change, by restoring their ecosystems, and preserving their cultures.
Grounded in experience and action on Tetiaroa, OUR VISION is to weave enlightened values, traditional wisdom, and scientific understanding into a new fabric for our common island home.
CURRENT ACTIONS: Designated by the atoll's owners as the environmental steward of Tetiaroa with authority and responsibility to manage, conserve and protect the entire island, our program objectives are summarized in our Conservation and Sustainable Use Plan. Under that plan, TS develops and carries out conservation and education, hosts scientific research, and curates the island's knowledge-base. We partner with The Brando to introduce resort guests to the nature and culture of the island, and to establish Tetiaroa as a model for island/earth sustainability where businesses and charities work together for the benefit of communities and nature.
Tetiaroa Society has three working partners without which we would not be able to carry out our mission:
The Brando Resort, The Brando Family Trust, and the Commune of Arue.
Brando Enterprises, L.P. is an operating entity created by the Marlon Brando Living Trust to manage core interests including Brando licensing activities, preservation and archiving of Brando memorabilia in preparation for future use and film participation and represent the Brando Trust’s continuing commitment to achieving Marlon’s wishes as set forth in his Trust documents. Tetiaroa Society represents the commitment of Brando Enterprises to honor Marlon’s vision for his French Polynesian atoll to advance sustainable interdependence through creative science, conservation, and education for local people and those around the world.
The Brando is an exquisite luxury resort on French Polynesia’s breathtakingly beautiful private atoll of Tetiaroa, just 30 miles north of Tahiti. Tetiaroa is comprised of a dozen idyllic islets surrounding a spectacular lagoon. Tetiaroa has always been a place of stunning beauty, tranquility and rejuvenation — first for Tahitian royalty, who chose this island above all others for their summer retreat, and later for Marlon Brando who chose it for his personal sanctuary. With access provided by private plane, the resort offers carefree luxury in the midst of pristine nature. The all-inclusive resort features 35 deluxe villas each with its own private beach area and plunge pool, restaurants showcasing Polynesian and French cuisine, a luxurious Polynesian spa, a lagoon-view bar, beach bar, pool, organic garden, library, boutique, and water sports. The Brando is a pioneering model of sustainable technology with sea water air-conditioning and energy from the sun and coconut oil. Protection of the abundant tropical fish and other marine life is core to the resort’s mission. With deep respect for its cultural legacy and the use of historical practices and new technologies to provide extraordinary luxury in an environmentally-friendly manner, The Brando brings the past and future together into a place beyond time, invigorating the spirit and enriching all who visit.
Our other local partners:
The missions of the Gump Research Station on Moorea are to promote research, education, and outreach in global change science, tropical biocomplexity, and sustainable development, and to develop Moorea as a model system to understand how physical, biological, and cultural processes interact to shape tropical socio-ecosystems, particularly coral reefs.
Mission Blue is a global initiative of the Sylvia Earle Alliance, a 501c3 organization, which was formed in response to Sylvia Earle’s 2009 TED Prize wish. Dr. Earle urged people “to use all means at your disposal — films, expeditions, the web, new submarines — to create a campaign to ignite public support for a global network of marine protected areas; Hope Spots large enough to save and restore the blue heart of the planet.” Currently, the Mission Blue community includes 100+ respected ocean conservation groups and like-minded organizations — from large multinational companies down to individual scientific teams doing important research.
With more than 25 years’ experience in the French Polynesian tourism market, 678 hotel rooms and 210 cabins, Pacific Beachcomber, S.C. is the country’s largest luxury hotel and cruise operator. In addition to its luxury small ships, the 332-guest m/s Paul Gauguin, and the 88-guest m/v Tere Moana, Pacific Beachcomber owns six award-winning resorts: InterContinental Tahiti Resort, InterContinental Bora Bora Le Moana Resort, InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa, InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa, the Maitai Polynesia Bora Bora, the Maitai Rangiroa, plus the Maitai Lapita Huahine.
In 1996, Air Tahiti Nui was founded to connect the world to one of the world’s great treasures, the islands of Tahiti. Our fleet of five Airbus A340-300s provides service to Tahiti from Paris, Los Angeles, Auckland and Tokyo. With partnership and codeshare agreements, we’ve extended that route network to include 39 major cities around the world including Sydney and New York.
As a Tahitian face to the rest of the world, Air Tahiti Nui takes enormous care to demonstrate the hospitality, beauty and relaxed nature of the nation’s people in every detail of the airline
Add to this, Air Tahiti Nui supports various environment protection programs. The beauty of our islands is the first asset of our tourism industry. Protecting nature and the beauty of Tahiti is the only way to make our tourism sustainable on the long term.
Supporting Tetiaroa Society is an incredible chance for Air Tahiti Nui to further demonstrate our commitment to protecting the natural beauty of Tahiti and her islands.
The Société d’Ornithologie de Polynésie ‘Manu’ (SOP) is a non-governmental, nonprofit organization. It was founded in 1990 and has 100 members. SOP is managed by a Council elected for two years and has a team of five permanent employees who work full time to carry out bird conservation programs in French Polynesia. Additionally, a network of people is involved in projects on a number of French Polynesian islands (awareness raising, biosecurity, rat eradication/control, logistical support, guides etc.). SOP became a partner of BirdLife in 2010 and it is legally recognized as public interest since 1999. Thanks to the actions of SOP, the critically endangered Ducula galeata was down-listed from critically to endangered birds and the Tahiti and Fatu Hiva monarchs would have been extinct today without SOP. SOP has many other programs like rat eradication projects and marine bird preservation, and notably the rescue of the grounded Tahiti Petrels.
Te mana o te moana non-governmental organization was founded on September 23rd, 2004. Through its research, conservation, communication and educational activities, the foundation strives to protect the marine environment of French Polynesia and to extend to the all world. Since 2008, Te mana o te moana is state-approved NGO of General interest and officially recognized by the environmental code. Te mana o te moana is also a member of IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), membership type B (c) – National non-governmental organizations (number NG/25093).
Tetiaroa Society Donors
The Tetiaroa Society is fortunate to have the support of the following
We are extremely grateful for their contributions.