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The oceans cover 361 million square kilometres, almost three-quarters (71 per cent) of the surface of the Earth. The overwhelming majority (95 per cent) of the ocean area is deeper than 130 m, and nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) are located in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Recent advances in science and technology have provided an unprecedented insight into the deep sea, the largest realm on Earth and the final frontier for exploration. Satellite and shipborne remote sensors have charted the sea floor, revealing a complexity of morphological features such as trenches, ridges and seamounts which rival those on land. Submersibles and remotely operated vehicles have documented rich and diverse ecosystems and communities, which has changed how we view life in the oceans.

The book you hold in your hands represents a first. Never before has such a compilation and synthesis on protected area management been attempted. Managing Protected Areas: A Global Guide brings together state-of-the-art thinking from around the world on the complex business of managing protected areas.

An initial environmental examination (IEE) of the impacts of oil palm activities in the Popondetta area has been undertaken. Through agreement with the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) and The Centre for Environmental Law and Community Rights Inc. (CELCOR), environmental consultants Ben Cole and John Craven were engaged to undertake the IEE. The aims of the IEE were to identify issues and to determine priorities for an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and evaluate whether available data could support legal action.

Plant genetic resources are a threatened but invaluable resource for present and future generations. Crop genetic diversity – both in cultivated plants (landraces) and the wild plants from which our crops originate (crop wild relatives or CWR) – provide important resources for food security, environmental sustainability and economic stability. It is thus perhaps surprising, considering this socio-economic importance that the conservation of CWR has not been systematically addressed and the rapid declines in landraces have generated little international conservation concern.

The three days Marine Turtle Conservation Workshop in the region reflected an achievement as a successful outcome from the objective of the Turtle Conservation Project in Tuvalu, Fiji and Vanuatu implemented and coordinated by the Institute of Marine Resources (IMR) under the University of the South Pacific (USP). Fellow representatives are from various non government organisation, local community, tourist industry, government officials, SPREP staffs and regional representatives including Samoa, Tuvalu, Tonga, and the Solomon Islands. Altogether, 31 participants attended the workshop. Presentations were conclusively conducted by Dr. Ian Bell (Marine Biologist) assisted by Dr. Ken MacKay (IMR), Aisake Batibasaga (Dept. Fisheries), Alan Resture (IMR) and Lui Bell (SPREP). Participants were basically trained on appropriate scientific research methods on Turtle Conservation, these includes, identifying turtle species, identifying turtle tracks, identifying turtle nesting and feeding grounds, turtle tagging and collating and recording datas. The formulation of the network between representatives would allow information dissemination, increasing in capacity building and education and awareness on turtle conservation at national and regional level. However, SPREP installed the Turtle Research and Monitoring Database System to centralise and secure collated datas and reports on Turtle Research in the region. Conclusively, increasing in efforts, cooperation, networking, management and support on conserving marine turtles will contribute to the rehabilitation and restoring the lost population of the endangered sea turtles in the Pacific.

A project team composed of staff of the various division of MNREM was formed as a Technical Team to assist the Project Manager in the implementation of project activities. The Project Team and Manager were able to compile a Summary Report of Existing Information on Lake Lanoto’o, organized and started the initial detail surveys on the site’s flora and fauna ecologies; and prepare a list of stakeholders for engagement in the formulation of an effective management/development plan for the site.

A report on the proper management of mangroves for resilience to climate change