The reefs of Guam have been spared from severe and widespread coral mortality associated with large-scale bleaching events, but observations in 2006 and 2007 suggest that bleaching events in Guams reefs may become more frequent and severe in the coming decades. The first large-scale bleaching event reported in Guam since the establishment of the University of Guam Marine Laboratory (UOGML) in 1970, was an event in 1994, with another event reported in 1996 (Paulay and Benayahu, 1999).
Since the 1997-1998 El Niño event, which was described by Golbuu et al. (2005), Palau has not experienced any major bleaching events. However, there have been reports of localized bleaching in different parts of Palau that are believed to be related to human impacts.
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Physical Description: 29 p.
The American Samoa Islands and its surrounding waters contain historical, cultural, and natural resources that must be protected, managed, controlled and preserved for the benefit of all people of the Territory and future generations. The protection of these traditionally valuable resources will enhance and increase fish abundance and size for future catch.
The wetlands of 21 countries and territories of the Pacific Islands region are reviewed: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea,Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Wallis and Futuna. The regions wetlands are classified into seven systems coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangrove swamps, riverine, lacustrine, freshwater swamp forests and marshes.
This paper aims to provide an overview of the existing policy framework, activities and coordinating arrangements in the area of UN inter-agency information exchange concerning environmental capacity building. It has been prepared for the Environmental Management Group (EMG) by an independent consultant who is familiar with UN information exchange networks concerning environmental capacity building that are operating within the United Nations.
The UNEP-GEF Biosafety Unit recently started an analysis of lessons learned from the 8 UNEP-managed demonstration projects for the implementation of National Biosafety Frameworks. These projects were approved by GEF Council in November 2001, for Bulgaria, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Kenya, Namibia, Poland, and Uganda. The 3-year projects started in September 2002 and were completed in the period 2005-2007.
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Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 5 Pages
The objective of this measure is to ensure an adequate level of oversight with respect to the intentional introduction into the environment of plant living modified organisms (Plant LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology to prevent or mitigate adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity
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Physical Description: 23 p.
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Call Number: 333.7 UNI [EL]
Physical Description: 56 p.
Toula community were concerned about possible sedimentation problems that may have triggered the sudden declining of the marine edible fisheries within their fishing ground, the coastal water between Toula and Pangaimotu. The people of Toula have been relying on these fisheries for their everyday food and income for a decade.
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Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 19 p.
The sites at Sandfly in Gela, Central Province were established over a three year period (three sites in 2004, two sites in 2005 and one site in 2007) after a series of workshops on good governance and marine resource awareness raising under the coral gardens project which was implemented by SIDT, ECANSI and Fisheries Division of the Solomon Islands government with funding from SPREP through FSPI. The sites are all community owned although two of them are owned and operated by resort owners who are indigenous residents of Gela
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Recent increases in observations of Acanthaster planci in lagoons on the North Coast of Moorea, French Polynesia have prompted a population survey on both the outer reef slope and inside the lagoon. Nine transects were performed along the coast between (S 17°28.971, W 149°54.130; & S 17°28.65, W 149°50.75). A. planci population was found to be very patchy. Timed surveys using SCUBA showed the population of stars on the outer reef slope to be concentrated in a depth range between 15-30m, with a high concentration 40/Ha near one of our transects.
A deadly tsunami hit the Western and Choiseul provinces on the 2nd April 2007 following an earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Ritcher scale. Other parts of the pacific, including Australia and Papua New Guinea, also received Tsunami warnings. The tsunami caused a lot of damage to properties and loss of lives in the two provinces. A number of communities The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is working in partnership with in Choiseul
province have been badly affected.
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Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 8 Pages
The Tefisi community was concerned of the possible adverse effect of soil being eroded into their coastal environment affecting the marine lives in the areas. In Tefisi, the surface soil is washed away from land development sites, farmland and the settlement areas in every significant rainfall. The fine soil particles flow into the coastal marine environment unchecked, causing the otherwise clear marine environment to become turbid. The outflow of soil not only destroys the ecosystems of the coastal environment, but seriously impacts the local fishery.
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The purpose of this paper is to document the process used by the Fiji Locally Managed Marine-Area (FLMMA) Network to train communities in simple biological monitoring and data presentation and to develop a biological monitoring plan for their projects. The contents of each session and tools used in
this training manual have previously been trialed and tested in several other FLMMA sites and further refinement was applied in this community biological monitoring training for five FLMMA project sites at Tagaqe village on March 4-7, 2003.
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FSPI CCP program has recognized the need of applied research and capacity building to support community based activities. FSPI has been researching the development of low-tech coral reef restoration techniques as a viable management tool for local communities. FSPI, through its affiliates, PCDF and Solomon Island Development Trust, have conducted coral reef restoration
Sea temperatures in many tropical regions have increased by almost 1°C over the past 100 years and are currently increasing at 1 ~ 2°C per century. Satellite and compiled in situ observations of sea surface temperatures have greatly increased the ability to detect anomalous and persistent warm water and are being widely used to predict climate change, coral bleaching and mortality.
Guam, the southernmost island of the Mariana Islands, is likely to encounter a significant typhoon every seven years. During the last thirty years two typhoons have passed directly over GuamKaren (11 November 1962) and Pamela (21 May 1976). Pamela had maximum winds of 120 kt (145 estimated), minimum sea level pressure of 930 mb, a speed of movement at 7 kt, a diameter of 20 nautical miles, and 33 inches of rainfall during the typhoon passage.