Abstract Global changes, from habitat loss and invasive species to anthropogenic climate change, have initiated the sixth great mass extinction event in Earth's history. As species become threatened and vanish, so too do the broader ecosystems and myriad benefits to human well-being that depend upon biodiversity. Bringing an end to global biodiversity loss requires that limited available resources be guided to those regions that need it most. The biodiversity hotspots do this based on the conservation planning principles of irreplaceability and vulnerability.
The Pacific Catastrophe Risk Assessment and Financing Initiative (PCRAFI) aims to provide the Pacific Island Countries (PICs) with disaster risk modeling and assessment tools. It also aims to engage in a dialogue with the PICs on integrated financial solutions for the reduction of their financial vulnerability to natural disasters and to climate change. The initiative is part of the broader agenda on disaster risk management and climate change adaptation in the Pacific region.
An open access geospatial data repository for the Pacific Region providing premier geophysical, geodetic, and marine spatial data sets. Developed through collaboration between the GeoScience, Energy and Maritime Division of the Pacific Community (SPC), University of Sydney, Geoscience Australia (GA), and GRID-Arendal.
The Mapping Ocean Wealth data viewer is a live online resource for sharing understanding of the value of marine and coastal ecosystems to people. It includes global maps, regionally-specific studies, reference data, and a number of “apps” providing key data analytics. Maps and apps can be opened according to key themes or geographies. The navigator the left of the maps enables you to add or remove any additional map layers as you explore. Information keys explain how the maps were made and provide additional links. Further information and resources can be found on Oceanwealth.org
Open dataset of boundaries and regulations that apply to marine protected areas (MPAs) and fishery management areas in U.S. and international marine waters.
The UN Biodiversity Lab is an online platform that allows policymakers and other partners to access global data layers, upload and manipulate their own datasets, and query multiple datasets to provide key information on the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and nature-based Sustainable Development Goals.
The PacificMap is a platform developed by CSIRO Data61 and the Pacific Data Hub (PDH) in collaboration with the Pacific Community Secretariat (SPC), as part of the Asia - Pacific for Development Initiative (D4D). The PacificMap is a platform for map-based access to spatial data from 22 Pacific Island Countries and Territories. It will lower the barrier and enhance access to timely, relevant and useful data for government and non-government organisations, businesses and communities throughout the Pacific.
GOA-ON works to improve our understanding of global ocean acidification conditions and ecosystem responses by making ocean acidification data easily accessible. This data portal contains platforms and products measuring ocean acidification parameters around the world.
The GEOSS Portal is an online map-based user interface which allows users to discover and access Earth observation data and resources from different providers from all over the world.
The portal is implemented and operated by the European Space Agency and provides a single internet discovery and access point to the ever-growing quantities of heterogeneous collections of Earth observations from satellites, airplanes, drones and in-situ sensors at global, regional and local scales through the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).
A recently published paper, titled “Coastal proximity of populations in 22 Pacific Island Countries and Territories” details the methodology used to undertake the analysis and presents the findings. **Purpose** * This analysis aims to estimate populations settled in coastal areas in 22 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTS) using the data currently available. In addition to the coastal population estimates, the study compares the results obtained from the use of national population datasets (census) with those derived from the use of global population grids.
The Multi-national Geospatial Co-production Program (MGCP) is a coalition of over 30 countries dedicated to producing high-resolution topographic vector data throughout high interest areas of the world. Data is extracted from high resolution imagery in 1° x 1° cells at a scale of 1:50 000. All data produced must meet a minimum horizontal circular error accuracy of 25m and meet MGCP Technical Reference Documentation (TRD) specifications, which details extraction guidelines and feature catalogues to ensure consistency.
The [Allen Coral Atlas](https://allencoralatlas.org/) combines high resolution satellite imagery, machine learning and field data to produce globally consistent benthic and geomorphic maps of the world's coral reefs. The Atlas is funded primarily by [Vulcan Inc.](https://www.vulcan.com) (founded by the late Paul G.
Resources for the SPREP Inform workshop in Samoa
Redlist species of Samoa as of 09/04/2019
A link to the Pacific Islands Protected Area Portal (PIPAP) which aims to facilitate the sharing of resources and expertise among the Pacific Islands Protected Area practitioners.
The MACBIO project classify the entire marine environment within the MACBIO participating countries to inform, in particular, their national marine spatial and marine protected area planning efforts. The draft outputs are marine bioregions that include reef-associated and deepwater biodiversity assemblages with complete spatial coverage at a scale useful for national planning. Results for the Solomon Islands have been presented to the marine experts and government of the Solomon Islands for review.
SPREP is leading the charge to make the Pacific Games in July in Samoa go plastic free in an awareness and outreach initiative aptly called Greening of the Games.
This dataset holds a draft report and a raw baseline data collected from a clean-up at Mulinu'u executed on the 11th May 2019 by the the Team Samoa Va'a, to contextualize solutions and interventions to address marine litter and plastic pollution.
Direct links to chart visualizations generated by the Inform portal based on data collection are also included.
The Bycatch Management Information System (BMIS) focuses on bycatch mitigation and management in oceanic tuna and billfish fisheries*. It is an open resource useful for fishery managers, fishers, scientists, observers, educators and anyone with an interest in fisheries management. As a reference and educational tool, the BMIS aims to support the adoption and implementation of science-based management measures so that bycatch is managed comprehensively and sustainably.
"Comparison of the average hard coral cover between the three five-year periods comprising the last 15 years (2005-09, 2010-14, 2015-19, Tab. 9.3) indicated that there was a high degree of confidence (93%) in the long-term decline, despite the uncertainty in individual yearly estimates. Further, the vast majority (90%) of this decline occurred between 2010-14 and 2015-19, suggesting that the rate of decline in hard coral cover has accelerated during the last five years"