During the period February 13 to 20, 1973, a visit was made to Canton Island for the purpose of conducting a preliminary survey of marine turtle nesting populations. Although previous investigators have described the sea birds (Buddle, 1938; Murphy G., 1954), insects (Van Zwaluwenburg, 1943, 1955), and vegetation (Hatheway, 1955), very little is known about the marine environment of Canton or the other seven atolls (Enderbury, Birnie, Phoenix, Sydney, Hull, Gardner and McKean) which comprise the Phoenix group.
Maninita, the southernmost island of the Vava'u group is an important seabird nesting site and a proposed national protected area as originally identified by the Government of Tonga's Ministry of Lands, Survey and Natural Resources. The Tonga NZODA Nature Tourism Programme has responded to this and the increasing interest in the island from Vava'u's tourism sector by including a Maninita initiative as a component of its overall programme.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 29 p.
The Pacific Islands region is important for a great number of cetaceans (whales and dolphins), whether as a permanent habitat, a breeding ground or a migration corridor. Currently, more
than thirty species of whales and dolphins have been identified in this area.
The presence and diversity of cetaceans in our region has led to the development of whale watching, both on a commercial and recreational basis. Whale watching is defined as viewing
A Workshop on Regional Action to Combat Invasive Alien Species on Islands to Preserve Biodiversity and Adapt to Climate Change highlighted successes, deepened connections within regions and facilitated the exchange of experiences across regions.While discussions outlined significant obstacles to invasive alien species management2 on islands, they also showcased how targeted successes have led to major gains for conservation and development.Collaboration across developmental and environmental sectors and sustained support are critical to success in this field.Exciting new initiatives are dev
The purpose of the action is to improve transportation and reduce maintenance cost by upgrading
causeway between Foa and Lifuka Islands, to become more resilient and less vulnerable to impacts
of high energy waves. Built in the period 1978-1979, the raised coral structure has served the people
of Foa and Lifuka well despite increasing maintenance cost. The replacement structure is similar to
the existing one but with rock armoring to reduce the energy of waves impacting on the structure
Since Elton highlighted the problem of biological invasions, numerous studies have established their importance in the structural evolution of natural communities, in particular insular communities. Because of their isolation, islands are regarded as natural evolution laboratories which are characteristically very fragile once the boundary is disturbed. This fragility is illustrated by the high proportion of species extinctions observed in islands: since 1600, more than 75% of monitored disappearances have been registered in islands.
Population survey of coconut crab (Birgus latro) in the Huvalu Forest Conservation Area, Niue island, South Pacific
Unpublished report kept in vertical file collection|2 copies
Call Number: VF 2291 [EL]
Physical Description: unpaged : tables ; 29 cm
The extensive Pacific Islands region comprises around 30.000 islands scattered across the vast central Pacific Ocean. The island groups and sea areas are divided into 22 countries, with a total population of around 6 million people. The great majority of people live in relatively small and isolated coastal or rural village communities, and remain closely reliant on their local natural resources for subsistence and economic development.
Biodiversity conservation - that is, the conservation of plants and animals that make up the species richness of a country - is widely recognised as an issue of importance for the South Pacific as it is relevant to family livelihoods, culture and economic development as well as to the unique biological story that these islands possess. The biodiversity of the region is threatened by a broad range of causes including unsustainable logging and fishing, invasive species, pollution, soil erosion, fire, habitat conversion and agricultural run-off.
Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems, such as clean air, fresh water, and the pollination of crops. The aim of this literature review was to find empirical data illustrating the ways in which conservation land and conservation management activities affect ecosystem services. The widely-held belief that natural ecosystemssuch as those found on conservation land in New Zealandprovide a range of ecosystem services is generally supported by the literature.
Life on Earth is disappearing fast and will continue to do so unless urgent action is taken. Well designed and effectively managed systems of protected areas are a vital tool for reducing biodiversity loss while delivering environmental goods and services that underpin sustainable development. There are currently over 130,000 protected areas worldwide, covering around 13.9 % of the Earths land surface and 5.9 % of the territorial marine surface. These areas represent a tremendous resource for conserving biodiversity and for protecting vital ecosystem services.
This document is part of a technical report series on conservation projects funded by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) and the Conservation International Pacific Islands Program (CI-Pacific). The main purpose of this series is to disseminate project findings and successes to a broader audience of conservation professionals in the Pacific, along with interested members of the public and students. The reports are being prepared on an ad-hoc basis as projects are completed and written up.
The Convention on Biological Diversity has been adopted by many countries, resulting in the development of national biodiversity strategies. This illustrates the international recognition of the importance of protecting ecosystems. However, ecosystems still face many threats, some of them growing and spreading so rapidly as to cause irreversible deterioration in many countries and areas.
A priority for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) is
effective planning and financing of actions to address
the impacts of climate change. This paper examines the
vital role that regional institutions play in sharing SIDS
relevant approaches and knowledge, and in delivering
specialist skills and knowledge to support national
efforts. It goes on to highlight the work of the Climate Resilient
Islands Partnership, which links the Caribbean,
Indian Ocean and Pacific Regions, and is working to
Powerpoint on GBIF and the 19th Annual Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation, by Kyle Cobas
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Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 18p. : ill. (col.)
The biodiversity of the Solomon Islands, in general, is in good health. Low human population density, uninhabited islands, difficulties to access and use natural resources, and customary and legal protection, in various ways, can help explain this. Threats to the countrys biodiversity are mainly localized and vary across islands, biomes, ecosystems, corridors and taxonomy. In recent years habitat destruction and overexploitation of wildlife has had enormous pressure on all types of biomes.
The biodiversity within the Solomon Island's geographical and political boundary are continuously under pressure from habitat destruction, overexploitation, waste, invasive species and climate change. Capacity constraints emanating from the absence of biodiversity values, institutional constraints, inadequate finance and the lack of scientific information are consequently undermining effort to lessen these pressures on biodiversity.
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Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 135 p. : 29cm.
Number of permits and consents approved from Jan - Mar 2018
Medicinal Use of Plants Cook Islands 2016 or older