Flying foxes (Pteropus spp) are important pollinators and seed dispersers in many island ecosystems. Populations of flying foxes have declined markedly on most islands in the South Pacific since the 1940's. One potential conservation strategy is to reintroduce bats on islands where they historically occurred. In this manner, the risk of species extinction due to local catastrophic events can be reduced. Ideally the source
The shorefishes of Ouvea, an isolated atoll in the Loyalty Islands group of New Caledonia, had not been surveyed prior to 1990. An extensive survey was conducted by ORSTOM between 1991 and 1992 to obtain baseline information on the shorefishes. A
total of 653 taxa among 72 families are now documented from this area. The most diverse families are the Labridae (69 species), Pomacentridae (58 species), Gobiidae (54 spccies),Serranidae (39 species), Chaetodontidae (31 species) and Apogonidae (28
The oceanic dispersal of plants and animals has been the focus of studies ever since organized natural history started in the Pacific, and the dispersal of terrestrial by sea rafting has been given due consideration. The finding of drift materials such as glass floats, tree trunks and seeds, is a common occurrence on the shores of Pacific Islands, but in most
cases the origin of such material is unknown or at least equivocal. Thus while the principle of sea rafted dispersal is known and reported at length, there is a need to document those
The study of dispersal processes of small mammals, and especially of rodents, has a wide range of applications and until recent years there were few publications discussing the
colonisation of 'oceanic' islands by small mammals (cf. Crowell, 1986; Diamond, 1987; Hanski, 1986;Heany, 1986; Lomolino, 1986).
The Republic of the Marshall Islands requested a natural and cultural biodiversity survey of 6 northern atolls (Bok-ak, Pikaar, Toke, Wotto, Rondik, Adkup) and one reef island (Jemo) which was accomplished over 17 days in September 1988. This report covers the results of the survey of the reefs and corals during the expedition. Ninety-five marine sites were snorkeled and the shorelines of all island were surveyed during the
Nukutipipi atoll (5 km2), of volcanic origin 16-17 million years old on the Pitcairn (hot spot) Hereheretue line, presents a land flora and fauna of low diversity but with a Pisonia forest and hundreds of resident red-tailed tropic birds. Nukutipipi suffered from the 1983 hurricanes : destruction of vegetation and motu as well as sand lagoon mollusc populations. The north and south rims present original geomorphological structures.
Phosphatic limestones and associated soils occur on eight of the nine islands of Tuvalu, central Pacific. Deposits range from gram-size to >500,000 tons. Carbonate hydroxyapatite, dahllite, forms crustose cement about calcareous bioclasts which it sometimes replaces. Precise genetic relationship of rock to soil is unclear. Consolidated rock occurs as hardpan within phosphatic soil profiles, with unconsolidated phosphatic layers above and below. Phosphatization has occurred either as a continuous or episodic process within the vadose zone for at least 4000 years.
Jonathan Sauer (1961) remarked, in his Coastal Plant Geography of Mauritius, that the chance to study the coastal vegetation there was like being "admitted to a field worker's paradise"
and stressed that "most tropical coasts are beautiful and exciting, particularly to people concerned with natural processes . . .." The same can certainly be said for the tropical coasts of the often Edenized islands of the Pacific Ocean. Their "beauty and excitement" is considerably enhanced,
Kwajalein is a crescent-shaped atoll that lies between 09°25' and 08°40'N and between 166°50' and 167°45'E, near the center o£ the western (Ralik) chain of the Marshall Islands (Figure 1). Composed of more than 90 islets, largely uninhabited, Kwajalein Atoll extends about 75 miles from southeast to northwest. It has a land area of about 6 square miles (3,854 acres) (Global Associates 1987), an increase of about 263 acres over the original area that was brought about by filling of land on Kwajalein, Roi-Namur, and Meek Islands.
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Fruit bats of the genus Pteropus are considered to be strong fliers (Kingdon, 1974; Nowak and Paradiso, 1983), with some species commuting distances of 10-50 km between day roosts and feeding areas (Breadon, 1932; Ferrar, 1934; Hall, 1983; Lim,
1966; McWilliam, 1985-1986; Ratcliffe, 1932; Taylor, 1934; Walton and Trowbridge, 1983). Longer seasonal movements of > 100 km are known for several species of Australian Pteropus, which change roosting sites in response to shifting patterns in the
On the 21 small islands located within the northern bays and reef systems of Tongatapu, Tonga, species of terrestrial flora present were identified, and vegetation units and gemorphological features surveyed on 12 that were previously unmapped. A species/ area plot of the data shows that rock islands are consistently more diverse than sand islands. Size of flora is also a function of frequency of human use of islands,
Interpretation of SEASAT geoid anomaly data and improved seafloor mapping of the
south-central Pacific suggest a complex tectonic history for the islands of the Pitcairn
group. While Oeno atoll formed at ~ 16m.y.BP at a 'hotspot' now south of the Easter micro-
plate, subsequent progressive island development at Henderson (13m.y.), Ducie (8m.y.)
and Crough seamount (4m.y.) resulted from the lateral leakage of magma from the Oeno
lineation along an old fracture zone, itself originating during the Tertiary reorientation
Field work conducted by the senior author at Bikini
Atoll, Marshall Islands, in May 1986 yielded twenty-three
species of birds; six of these were documented as nesting
and an additional four species almost certainly nest as
well. Six species were previously unrecorded for Bikini
Atoll, and one of these, the Laughing Gull (Larus
atricilla) was new to Micronesia. The recorded avifauna
for Bikini Atoll now stands at twenty-six species. Major
seabird colonies were located on Aomoen (and other
The vertebrate fauna of Rotuma consists of over 425
fish species, no amphibians, 11 terrestrial reptiles, 15
land birds and two native mammals. The zoogeographic
affinity of the Rotuman fish fauna is with the Pacific
plate fauna; in contrast, the affinity of the reptile fauna
is with the Fijian fauna. A species list of Rotuman
occurrence is provided for each of the four vertebrate
groups as well as brief descriptions of the marine and
terrestrial habitats.
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Call Number: [EL]
Masayoshi Okabe visited the Palau and Yap Islands to study the local medicinal plants and diseases treated through their use. He made reports of his findings (1941a, 1943a) in Japanese. In this paper the authors present for the first time in the English language a published record of Okabe's findings.
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Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 26 p.
A faunistic account of the terrestrial reptiles occurring
on islands and atolls of Eastern Polynesia is provided along with a description of their biogeographic characteristics. The distribution area of each species is presented in relation to frequencies of occurrence, maximum area of coverage, biology and limits of the present state of knowledge.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 76 p.
In a typical High Island coral reef complex of French Polynesia (transect of Tiahura, Hoorea Island, Society Archipelago!, 73 species of decapod Reptantia and stomatopod crustaceans were collected. Over 9 stations localised along the transect, 3 different units of hard coral substrate of simi1ar volume (about 17 litres each), were sampled at each station. The results are discussed from two aspects : the first shows that at least 50 carcinologic species occur within the cavitary biotopes ; 16 species (mainly Xanthid crabs), represent more than 90% of all collected individuals.
Several large regions of the world are plagued by
conservation problems shaped around a particular inherent
set of geographical, biological and human conditions which
have been operational for varying periods of time. Typical
of situations facing Latin America are the progress of
economic development in Amazonia with its attendant loss of
rainforest biodiversity, and the Central American
"hamburger connection" involving conversion of forests to
grazing land to support the export of cheap beef to the
This report includes an introductory section on the geography and vegetation, and a main portion listing the species of vascular plants known to occur, or to have occurred, on the island, with detailed descriptions of those of which time permitted a careful study, and brief descriptions of the remaining native species. Those suspected to have been brought by Polynesians in pre-European time are also described and discussed in some detail.
The Gilbert Islands are a north-south chain of low coral islands, lying across the equator at about 172°-177° E longitude. The atolls, from north to south are Little Makin, Butaritari, Marakei, Abaiang, Tarawa, Maiana, Kuria, Aranuka, Abemama, Nonouti, Tabiteuea, Onotoa, Beru, Nikunau, Tamana, and Arorai. They are densely populated, and were under British Colonial Government until 1979, when they were granted independence, and now are the principal archipelago in the new republic of Kiribati.
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Call Number: [EL]