This draft model law has been designed specifically for countries which have already enacted
comprehensive marine pollution legislation, and in particular the model Marine Pollution
Prevention Act prepared by SPC and SPREP, and last revised in 2002. For countries that have not
enacted marine pollution legislation of that nature, it is recommended that instead of using this
draft model law, consideration be given to enacting comprehensive marine pollution legislation
Sea temperatures in many tropical regions have increased by almost 1°C over the past 100 years and are currently increasing at 1 ~ 2°C per century. Satellite and compiled in situ observations of sea surface temperatures have greatly increased the ability to detect anomalous and persistent warm water and are being widely used to predict climate change, coral bleaching and mortality.
During participation in part of the Fairbridge Expedition
to New Guinea, February to May, 1969, I had opportunity to visit 17 islands and cays east of the New Guinea mainland for sufficient time to assemble reasonably complete collections oi their terrestrial reptilian fauna. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of that survey. Fairbridge (1971 ) has previously published a brief report on the expedition and. a more detailed one is in preparation.
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In accordance with Article 177 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, development cooperation policy shall foster: the sustainable economic and social development of the developing countries, and more particularly the most disadvantaged among them; the smooth and gradual integration of the developing countries into the world economy; the campaign against poverty in the developing countries
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Healthy marine resources require healthy, intact ecosystems. Marine and coastal ecosystems are highly productive and deliver various goods and services that support communities and economies, including food security, clean water, recreational
opportunities and other benefits. Effective area-based protection, through MPAs, helps maintain ecosystem health and productivity, while safeguarding social and economic
FSPI CCP program has recognized the need of applied research and capacity building to support community based activities. FSPI has been researching the development of low-tech coral reef restoration techniques as a viable management tool for local communities. FSPI, through its affiliates, PCDF and Solomon Island Development Trust, have conducted coral reef restoration
Multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) are agreements
Status of coral reefs in the Polynesia Mana node is predominantly healthy. There are 6733 km2 of reefs scattered over 347 islands. Most (90%) are healthy, 5% have been destroyed or are at a critical stage and 5% are under threat;Reefs have been degraded around populated areas of Rarotonga (Cook Islands), Tahiti and Moorea (French Polynesia) and South Tarawa (Kiribati);Coral reefs support the livelihoods of Polynesian populations through subsistence fishing in all countries and through tourism and black pearl industries in French
This report has been prepared at the request of the Government of Nauru to provide advice and instruction for the establishment of a National Meteorological and Hydrological Service (NMHS) in this country.
A National Meteorological and Hydrological Service is to be established in Nauru to provide scientific and technical advice to the government and people of Nauru. Nauru is the only independent country or self-governing territory within the membership of the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) not to have an established NMHS.
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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
From 0900 on 17 June to 0615 on 19 June 1965 Caroline Atoll was visited by a field party from the Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Program (POBSP) of the Smithsonian Institution. The field party, led by Sibley, collected and made observations on vascular plants, fish, reptiles, mammals, and birds. All islands with the exception of the northern two-thirds of Nake were visited. Prior knowledge of the biota of Caroline Atoll is very scant, deriving almost entirely from the visits of F. D. Bennett in 1835, Devoy in 1875, and the U.S.S. Hartford in 1883.
Coastal areas and oceans are complex and fragile environments with many different functions linked to public health, food security, and other economic and social benefits. These are also decisive elements in the alleviation of poverty. Healthy estuarine, near-shore and oceanic systems provide cultural heritage, food, building materials, traditional livelihoods, tourism opportunities, transportation routes, storm protection, organisms for biotechnology and many more benefits that are frequently overlooked or abused.
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Bioenergy occupies a unique position at the nexus of energy, environment, climate change and rural development agendas. Consequently, bioenergy and biofuels in particular, have seen
record levels of support in the form of subsidies, mandates and investments as governments seek to maximize the perceived synergies between the various opportunities offered by bioenergy. Whilst it is true that well- planned bioenergy development can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from a range of sources, increase rural incomes, reduce waste, improve access
Climate change poses a massive threat to development. The poorest populations of poor countries - the Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States, and the nations of Africa - face the concentrated challenge of tackling the worst of the impacts with the least capacity to do so. Clearly, adaptation to climate impacts must be seamlessly integrated into any development planning and policy. This four- step plan for mainstreaming climate change aims to fulfil that need.
Tuvalu is comprised of nine small islands, six of them being atoll islands (with lagoons) namely Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae. The remaining three,
Nanumanga, Niutao and Niulakita are raised limestone reef islands. None of the islands are more than three metres above sea level, with the biggest island, Vaitupu, having a land area of just over 1000 acres. The total land area is approximately twenty-six square kilometres with a sea area of 900,000 square kilometres. During the pre-independence period, 1938 - 1978,
The InterRidge Vents Database is a global database of submarine hydrothermal vent fields. The InterRidge Vents Database is supported by the InterRidge program for international cooperation in ridge-crest studies (www.interridge.org).
The Global Mangrove Watch (GMW) is a collaboration between Aberystwyth University (U.K.), solo Earth Observation (soloEO; Japan), Wetlands International the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
This dataset shows the global distribution of seamounts and knolls identified using global bathymetric data at 30 arc-sec resolution. A total of 33,452 seamounts and 138,412 knolls were identified, representing the largest global set of identified seamounts and knolls to date. Seamount habitat was found to constitute approximately 4.7% of the ocean floor, whilst knolls covered 16.3%.
The research leading to these results received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme, and from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
GEBCO's aim is to provide the most authoritative publicly-available bathymetry of the world's oceans. It operates under the joint auspices of the International Hydrographic Organization(IHO) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) (of UNESCO).
GEBCO produces and makes available a range of bathymetric data sets and products. This includes a global bathymetric grid; gazetteer of undersea feature names, a Web Map Service and printable maps of ocean bathymetry.
Minerals are non-renewable resources (at least within human timeframes) but mining them is now apparently a sustainable enterprise, not a one-way street of exploitation. ISA provides an international and transparent forum to regulate and manage all mineral resources related activities and ensure protection of the marine environment in the “Area”, the deep seabed and subsoil beyond national jurisdiction, for the benefit of all humanity.