Although the atoll was discovered in 1796 and claimed by the United States in 1858, it was uninhabited except for brief visits by guano miners, adventurers, government scientists and military personnel until 1936, when the U.S. Navy began developing first a seaplane base and later an airstrip and refueling facilities which served as an important link from
the Hawaiian Islands to the western Pacific during World War II.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 502 p.
Nauru is a single raised coral island
with a total land area of 21 sq km.
Despite its small land area, Nauru has
an EEZ that extends over more than
320 000 sq km. Its maximum height
above sea level is approximately 70 m.
Kept in vertical file collection|Also available electronically
Call Number: VF 4339 [EL]
Physical Description: 11 p. ; 29 cm
The traditional way of life has been, of necessity, an ecologically sustainable one. With care of the environment essential for future generations to benefit from the resources.
Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) are a subset of the universe of international agreements. What distinguishes them from other agreements is their focus on environmental issues, their creation of binding international law, and their inclusion of multiple countries. Over the years, many MEAs have been negotiated and agreed at the international and regional levels. Some have a few Parties; some have almost global participation.
This report presents the results of a twelve day survey expedition (5 to 16 December, 2004) and represents the first ever systematic effort to document the marine biodiversity of the Great Sea Reef (GSR), locally known as Cakaulevu, to the north of Vanua Levu in the Fiji Archipelago. 23 sites were surveyed over 6 major habitat types: outer barrier reefs, back barrier reefs, channels, mangrove island fringing reefs, rocky island fringing reef and submerged patch reefs.
Kept in vertical file collection|Also available electronically
Call Number: VF 6834 [EL]
The Pacific islands are uniquely vulnerable to a variety of unpredictable events - natural disasters, including potential climate change impact, as well as health emergencies. The region is made up of mainly very small countries with poor socio-economic development. These and other contextual factors result in unique challenges in building systems, skills and experience necessary to maintain and promote a well functioning national society.
The Pacific Islands region faces increasing environmental and socioeconomic pressures exacerbated by global climate change and climate variability.1 Adaptation to climate change and variability (CCV) is ultimately an issue of sustainable development. Even without climate change, Pacific island countries are already severely affected by climate variability and extremes, and they remain extremely vulnerable to future changes in the regional climate that could increase the risks.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB), in co-operation with the Government of New Zealand is formulating the Pacific Regional Environmental Strategy. This will review major environmental challenges in the region and put forward strategic objectives
and activities for ADB assistance.
Available electronically
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 109 p. ; 29 cm
This book comprises the offerings of sixteen indigenous Pacific writers and presents the first publication of its kind in the region in terms of profiling the direct experiences of Pacific indigenous communities who have had an acrimonious encounter with science, biotechnology and intellectual property rights
The study of marine sediments provides useful information in marine, environmental and geochemical research about pollution of the marine environment (Calace et al. 2005). Urban developments and industrial activities contribute to the introduction of significant amounts of contaminants (among them trace metals) into the marine environment and affect directly the coastal systems where they are often deposited (Angelidis 1995; Dassenakis et al. 2003).
This thesis is a critical ethnographic account of the Wartha people, a small group of hunter-horticulturalists living on the Torassi or Bensbach River, in the southwest corner of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea (PNG). This area is adjacent to the international border between PNG and Indonesia's Papua Province (West Papua).
Available online|A thesis submitted to the School of Social Science, the University of Queensland for the degree of Doctor or Philosophy
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 438 p.
Development of conceptual models is an important step in the design of the Inventory and Monitoring Program. Conceptual models provide a framework for clarifying meaningful
The purpose of this thesis is to develop an analytical framework that can be used to better understand the impacts of tourism on small island developing states (SIDS). In particular, the framework will address tourism in light of sustainability goals
As parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) gather in Bali, Indonesia to initiate a fresh effort to develop a global strategy to address climate change, the case for basing that strategy on early, deep cuts in emissions is being aggressively touted. To reinforce that case, the argument is being made that if such a strategy is not
adopted, developing countries like China and India will be those most adversely affected.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 32 p.
Over the past decade, there has been growing interest in working with local communities to establish marine protected areas to help conserve dwindling marine resources. Given the urgent
Trade in illegal timber throughout the Asia-Pacific region is suppressed to an extent by international policy, primarily the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
(CITES). While not specifically focusing on timber, CITES has some effective mechanisms and prosecution powers - albeit limited - that regulate the import and export of illegal timber
and timber products if they are listed as 'endangered'. However, there are inconsistencies and loopholes in policies and regulations at domestic, regional and national levels of
The New Guinea mainland and surrounding islands possess an extra-ordinarily rich flora and a great diversity of vegetation types that parallel the diverse physiography of the lands and the resulting climates that prevail. A high proportion (some three-quarters) of the land area has a forest cover,
Knowledge of the fishermen of Tarawa Atoll, Kiribati concerning some key food fish in their waters is described and shown to be highly relevant to the management of these fish. The bonefish, Albula glossodonta, has been the most important shallow- water finfish in Tarawa catches. However, all but one of its known spawning runs has been eliminated according to fishermen and this last remaining run is showing signs of
Microbenthos and macrobenthos were quantitatively studied at 62 stations distributed regularly over the Uvea Atoll lagoon (850 km2). Sampling was performed using both SCUBA and a 0.1 m2 Smith Mclntyre grab. Mean estimates of ATP, chlorophyll a and phaeopigments were 297.3ng/cm2, 77.01 mg/m2 and 35.28 mg/m2
respectively. The mean macrobenthic biomass was 4.14 gAFDW/m2 of which the macrophytobenthos accounts for 39%. The benthic biomass decreased from the coast to the deepest parts of the lagoon. Macrophytes were most abundant in the coastal area
What are the decapod crustacea known from French Polynesia? The answer to this, apparently simple question, would be very helpful for determinating the species collected during ecological studies. Moreover, from a biogeographical point of view, a check list of the species reaching this area, at the eastern limit of the Indo-West Pacific province, would be very interesting.