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Biodiversity is a term that describes the number and diversity of the different plants, animals, and other living things within our environment. Biodiversity is a key factor in natural resilience to the impacts of environmental change. All species contribute to environmental resilience, including those that are naturally common and those that are rare. Natural biological communities have evolved over thousands or millions of years and have resulted in adaptations to local conditions that make these species resilient to natural environmental change. This community of native species contributes to ecosystem functioning and together provides the ecosystem services that we rely on. These services include provisioning (such as food, fuel, raw materials, or medicines), regulating (such as providing clean water and air, climate regulation and flood protection, waste decomposition, and biological pest and disease control), supporting (such as nutrient cycling), and cultural services (such as spiritual and heritage value, recreation, and science). When ecosystems are disturbed or disrupted, due to habitat modification, overharvesting, or invasive species, their function is affected, the benefits they offer decline, and resilience to further change is reduced. In this time of unprecedented global environmental change, protecting biodiversity is more important than ever to ensure we can retain the benefits of the natural world on which all our lives depend

The purpose of the Guiding Framework is to support anyone or any institution planning and implementing invasive species projects or programmes on islands in the Pacific. To this end, this document lists the essential components of a comprehensive and effective invasive species management programme. It has been compiled in consultation with experts and Pacific Island countries and territories, to support them in developing their invasive species work and to guide regional and international agencies. The Guiding Framework has been endorsed by all countries and territories in the Pacific islands region and the metropolitan countries with jurisdictional responsibilities in the Pacific via the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and Pacific Community (SPC) Meetings.

Biodiversity is a term that describes the number and diversity of the different plants, animals, and other living things within our environment. Biodiversity is a key factor in natural resilience to the impacts of environmental change. All species contribute to environmental resilience, including those that are naturally common and those that are rare. Natural biological communities have evolved over thousands or millions of years and have resulted in adaptations to local conditions that make these species resilient to natural environmental change. This community of native species contributes to ecosystem functioning and together provides the ecosystem services that we rely on. These services include provisioning (such as food, fuel, raw materials, and medicines), regulating (such as provision of clean water and air, climate regulation and flood protection, waste decomposition, and biological pest and disease control), supporting (such as nutrient cycling), and cultural services (such as spiritual and heritage value, recreation, and science). When ecosystems are disturbed or disrupted, due to habitat modification, overharvesting, or invasive species, their function is affected, the benefits they offer decline, and resilience to further change is reduced. In this time of unprecedented global environmental change, protecting biodiversity is more important than ever to ensure we can retain the benefits of the natural world on which all our lives depend.

Marine invasive species have received much less attention than terrestrial species worldwide. In the Pacific, the marine environment provides us with a significant part of our diet and income. Marine Managed Areas focus on protecting these important resources for livelihood purposes, biodiversity and ecosystem function, tourism, and many other benefits. Although invasive species management is more difficult in the marine environment, it is not something we can neglect, and the efforts we put in need to increase. This guide seeks to provide some options for this management. Special thanks to Anne Haas, who completed an internship with the SPREP Invasive Species Programme from Yale University in 2015, for completing the literature review and creating the text for this guide.

Sustainable financing is about gaining access to funding in a way that can continue permanently for all the work that needs to be done and, typically, that does not rely on grants. Those involved in conservation or environmental management know how important funding is and how much effort is involved in getting the funding needed for projects and activities. The task of getting money is usually the role of the director or manager of an organisation. In the case of government departments, this responsibility typically lies with the finance manager.

The launch of the Pacific Marine Biosecurity Toolkit on 1st March 2022 also introduced the new Pacific battler series called "Manage marine biosecurity in the Pacific", a guide that provides an introduction on how to manage invasive marine species in the Pacific.

The launch of the Pacific Battler Lounge on November 27, 2020 also announced the fourth Pacific Battler of the Year for 2020 during the 10th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas.

PBIF is a Pacific version of the GBIF that aims to increase data mobilization capacity in the Pacific. This opens up the opportunity to engage with the organization more broadly to institutionalize data mobilization processes and promote GBIF across the region.

Rapidly expanding human populations and associated economic growth and overconsumption is resulting in serious degradation of the natural environment human survival depends on (Vitousek et al., 1997; Sanderson et al., 2002; Orr, 2004; Alroy, 2010; Branch et al., 2013). Almost half of the global human population currently lives within 150km of the coast (UN Atlas of the Oceans, 2014). This results in severe pressures being placed on marine and coastal environments. Anthropogenic impacts on oceans include physical alterations of the coasts and seafloor, as well as chemical and biological contamination through sewage, industrial wastes and agricultural discharges, dredging, desalination, shipping, and fossil fuel and ore extraction. These pressures, together with overfishing, by-catch, destructive fishing methods (e.g. blast fishing), introduction of invasive species, boat strikes, acoustic pollution, climate-related changes (i.e. ocean acidification, sea level rise, freshwater inundations, cyclones) can cause structural changes in marine communities and the loss of genetic variability and other side-effects of human interference with exceptionally complex ocean ecosystems (Gray et al., 1979; Goldberg, 1995; Vitousek et al. 1997; Islam and Tanaka, 2004; Pauly et al., 2005; Panigada et al., 2006; Crain et al., 2008; Halpern et al., 2008; Ramirez-Llodra et al., 2011)

The Little Fire Ant may be small but it has a very long scientific name - Wasmannia auropunctata. It is about 1.5 mm with a light to golden brown colour. Its home is Central and South America but it has travelled far to the Pacific islands and now lives in eight of our island countries - French Polynesia, Guam, Hawaii, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna.