Reports on the state of the world's sea turtles
Summary table of the status of Pacific Island countries in relation to International and Regional conventions.
This guide introduces environmental indicators and provides an overview of SPREP’S core indicators for Pacific island countries. In 2012, the SPREP members approved the development of a set of standardised indicators for use by member countries at the SPREP meeting. Through the Inform project, SPREP programmes then developed a set of 34 indicators that was endorsed by members at the 2018 SPREP meeting. This document explains the development and use of environmental indicators in Part 1 and provides a summary of each of the 34 ‘core’ indicators in Part 2.
The Strandings of Oceania database is a collaborative project between SPREP, WildMe and the South Pacific Whale Research Consortium to record stranding and beachcast data for whales, dolphins and dugongs throughout the Pacific. We use a platform called Flukebook. An account is needed to view or use data within Flukebook but the data is available for download here. You can submit data direct into Flukebook (preferably while logged in) or send a completed data form to SPREP for upload. Guidance on using the database is available :
"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"
Circular 21/150
Inform Plus proposed 5 pillars
- Component 1: Environmental Governance
- Component 2: Monitoring and field data collection for environmental standards and standardised environmental indicators
- Component 3: Data management utilising the Pacific Island Network Portal (PEP). Production of information products for decision makers based on existing data sets.
- Component 4: Enhance and expand GIS use for data collection, analysis and presentation to inform decision makers
Coral reefs in every region of the world are threatened by climate change, no matter how remote or well protected. Identifying and protecting climate refugia is a popular recommendation for coral reef management. Climate refugia are locations that maintain suitable environmental conditions for a resident species even when surrounding areas become inhospitable.
This report outlines a baseline assessment of the water quality, sediment quality and aquatic ecology of the Metapona River system downstream of Gold Ridge Mine, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. The assessment was conducted on behalf of the Ministry of Environment, Conservation, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology in the Solomon Islands Government. This assessment will provide the framework to establish an integrated environmental monitoring program for the Metapona River system.
The purpose of this research is to develop a robust water quality baseline data of relevant physical, chemical and biological parameters, over an 8-month period, 4 months in summer and 4 months in winter, at both low and high tides for three main estuaries along the Suva foreshore, where an increase in recreational water activity has been noted, as a result of urbanisation. Such a baseline is currently not available in the Fiji Islands. This investigation used affordable advanced and approved standard methods.
In contrast to the properly grim outlook of just a few decades ago, these are pretty good times for sea turtles. In a 2017 paper titled “Global Sea Turtle Conservation Successes,” Antonio Mazaris and colleagues reported that published estimates of sea turtle populations tend to be increasing rather than decreasing globally. We have also seen the status of some species improving in recent Red List assessments led by the IUCN-SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group, with both the leatherback and loggerhead improving to vulnerable globally (from critically endangered and endangered, respectively).
Refer to dataset description for information. Please use this version for double-sided printing.
Please refer to dataset description for further information.
Strandings of Oceania Database Protocols for data users
Circular cover letter that was sent out on 1st December 2021
Proposed Project Objective: Enhanced use of data for decision making in the environment sector throughout the Pacific region. Building on the tools and momentum the Inform project established, this scaled up project will expand the user base and fill significant gaps including in situ monitoring, increased partnerships between the environment ministries and other ministries, increase use of spatial tools, and the establishment of standardise environmental standards and key indicators for key resources.
Focusing management efforts on thermal refugia may only be effective in the short-term. Promoting adaptation to higher temperatures and facilitating migration will instead be needed to secure coral reef survival.
This assessment will provide the framework to establish an integrated environmental monitoring program for the Metapona River system.