This report lias been prepared on behalf of the Environment Service, Cook Islands as part of an ongoing monitoring programme of reef health of the fringing reef of Rarotonga. The
initial work was earned out in 2000 and this is the first subsequent sampling and report since that baseline study.
Available online|Report for the Environment Service, Tu'anga Taporoporo, Cook Islands
Call Number: EL]
Physical Description: 21 p.
Millions of visitors to public aquariums and thousands of snorkelers and divers across the globe are amazed by the diversity of life on coral reefs. Looking to replicate
this marine wonderland, an increasing number of them have
created a "living aquarium" at home, unaware of the impact this
is having on species and the lives of people in far-flung regions.
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Physical Description: 1 Page
The International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN), established in the year 2000, is a collaborative effort working to halt and reverse the decline in health of the world's coral reefs. ICRAN was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), WorldFish Center (formerly ICLARM), World Resources Institute (WRI), UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Center (UNEP-WCMC), Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) Secretariat, Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
A great deal of deep-sea biodiversity is concentrated around features known as seamounts. Seamounts are like underwater islands - mountains that rise 1,000 meters or higher from the seabed but do not break the ocean surface. Although they have not been comprehensively mapped, it is estimated that there may be more than 100,000 seamounts worldwide. Almost half of these are believed to lie in the Pacific Ocean. To date, less than one percent of known seamounts have been comprehensively studied. The largest mountain range on planet Earth is beneath the ocean the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Almost half a billion people live within 100 km (60 miles) of coral reefs where they benefit from fisheries, wave and storm surge protection, and tourist income. With the worldwide coastal
population expected to double by 2050, coral reefs will be facing increased pressure from unmanaged development along coasts. Unplanned coastal developed is not only a serious threat
Scientists have identified an area called the Coral Triangle within the Indo-Pacific - its boundaries defined by marine zones containing 500 or more species of reef-building coral. This region covers all or part of six countries: Indonesia (Central and Eastern), Malaysia (Sabah), Papua New Guinea, Philippines,
Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. Certain neighboring countries including Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanuatu - contain rich coral biodiversity, but with somewhat lower numbers.
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In most tropical countries, coral reef ecosystems provide coastal populations with a number of goods and services. However, a variety of anthropogenic practices threatens reef health and therefore jeopardizes the benefits flowing from these goods and services. These threats range from local pollution, sedimentation, destructive fishing practices and coral mining, to global issues such as coral bleaching.
Coral reef fisheries are a vital source of protein for coastal communities throughout the tropics. Coral reefs contain over 4,000 species of fish as well as other edible invertebrates and contribute about one-quarter of the total marine catch in developing countries. Exploitive
fishing, which includes overfishing and destructive fishing, occurs on most of the worlds reefs. It yields short-term economic benefits for fishers, but endangers the long-term sustainability of fishing and other reef-dependent industries
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In The Early 1990s, Residents Of UCUNIVANUA VILLAGE, On The Eastern Coast Of Fijis largest island, realized that the marine resources they depended on were becoming scarce. Village elders remembered when a
The Main Species Of holothurian exploited in the Sputh Pacific are Holothuria scabra, H. Fuscogilva And H. nobilis, which have high commercial value , Actinopyga echinites, A. Miliaries And Thelenota ananas Of medium commercial value, And Holothuria atra, H. fuscopunctata and H. mauritiana, whose commercial value is low.
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Call Number: [EL]
ISBN/ISSN: 92-5-102508-8
Physical Description: ix, 143 p.
The realization that local aspirations, livelihoods, conservation and inshore fisheries management should be integrated has seen an increasing emphasis on collaborative and participatory approaches worldwide. In many respects the Pacific has taken the lead with hundreds of communities in Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu and Micronesia now proactively managing their coastal resources. Approaches range from the customary or traditional to complex multi-stakeholder co management.
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The task given to the Evaluator was to review and assess the Initiatives relevance, design,efficiency,effectiveness, impact and sustainability, as provided by the ECs evaluation protocol used in the Mid-term Review (MTR). As a suitable level of funding was not available to conduct the evaluation appropriately, the evaluation was centred on a regional sharing and evaluation workshop held at Maravaghi Resort in the Solomon Islands from the 21st 24th February in which key NGOs, community representatives and government partners were brought together from participating countries.
The Objectives Of the Kimbe Bay MPA Network Are twofold: to conserve marine biodiversuty and natural resources of the bay in perpetuity, and to address local marine resource management needs, the scientific design of the Kimbe Bay MPA network is based largely on a scientific assessment of biodiversity Values, And Identifies 15 Areas Of interest that meet specific conservation goals. The Design process involved expert scientific advice, targeted research and monitoring, and an analytical design process(using marine reserve software MARXAN)
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This socio-economic study was conducted in six villages in Kimbe Bay and was part of a larger project being undertaken by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to understand the physical and biological aspects of marine ecosystems of Kimbe Bay and the socioeconomic issues influencing local marine resource use and conservation. The Kimbe Bay project aims to protect and conserve the biodiversity and marine resources of the marine environment from the pressures of population increase and economic development within the Bay.
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Call Number: [EL]
The marine environment of Fiji comprises a range of distinct ecosystems that contain some of the most diverse and significant marine habitats, species and processes in the world. These natural resources are of great economic and social importance to the people of Fiji and the world
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Physical Description: 74 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.
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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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.
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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