The Science of Marine Reserves Project is an international collaboration to study, synthesize, and share the scientific information about marine reserves and other types of marine protected areas around the world.
A series of publication on the status of coral reefs of the world
This paper provides information on degradable plastics and is intended to provide guidance on potential mechanisms for achieving reductions in plastic bag consumption. It is anticipated that this paper can be used in the Pacific region as a source of information, when trying to devise a strategy for dealing with plastic bags.
This document represents a synthesis of the expertise, knowledge and views of leading experts in marine protected area (MPA) network design and implementation. It is intended to be useful to countries and their various organizations in helping them build effective networks of MPAs. Not only does it provide a wealth of real-life examples from around the globe, it outlines the steps necessary to turn political ambitions into reality.
This study first presents the general knowledge on shark exploitation and vulnerability. Then, the status of coastal shark fisheries in the Pacific Islands is addressed from the angle of the data available for this region and on the basis of information collected through a questionnaire that was sent to the fisheries department of the Pacific countries. In the last part, prospects for management and regulation are discussed.
Fact Sheet - Pacific tourism depends on healthy marine ecosystems for aesthetic appeal and for the ecosystem services that support human occupation. This fact sheet links it to SDGs and brief background info on how the Pacific island countries face challenges in planning for sustainable development of infrastructure as well as sea and land uses related to tourism
Pacific Factsheet on ocean acidification, briefly covering how it links to SDGs
The Pacific Ocean 2020 Challenge seeks to focus global attention, to build new partnerships, and generate the necessary commitments, to address threats to the world’s largest natural asset – the Pacific Ocean - by 2020
This Strategic Plan provides an integrated overview of a science based to living marine resource conservation and management in the Pacific Islands Region. The goals and objectives reflect here also generally reflect NOAA Fisheries national goals with appropriate acknowledgements of the unique cultural, historical, geographical and ecological features that characterize the people and living marine resources of the region
Outbreaks of the corallivorous crown-of-thorns seastar Acanthaster planci (COTS) represent one of the greatest disturbances to coral reef ecosystems in the Indo-Pacific, affecting not only coral reefs but also the coastal communities which rely on their resources. This research paper documents a test of a new alternative control method based upon acidic injections of cheap, 100% natural products that was carried out in Vanuatu where the presence of COTS has frequently been reported.
This booklet is a vehicle for sharing knowledge between the islands of the Pacific Community about the basic fishery management measures that have been used in different places for regulating particularly important or potentially vulnerable species.
This paper stresses out that human resources development in the marine sector is a priority. The University of the South Pacific is a key player in tertiary training and education, and it is the purpose of this document to outline the role that USP, specifically its Marine Studies Programme (MSP) is playing in building capacity in the marine sector of the region.
This volume is the third of a four-volume report entitled 'Cities, Seas and Storms: Managing Change in the Pacific Island Economies' produced by the World Bank. The key outcome of the report is intended to be an improved understanding of the need for management interventions. The report also argues for a greater collaboration between traditional, national and regional organizations in ocean management, able to maximize their comparative strengths while minimizing the inefficiencies in their interaction.
This report summarises the projected changes in ocean chemistry for the Pacific island region (from 130°E to 130°W and 25°N to 25°S) at regional and sub-regional scales, assessing the vulnerability of Pacific coastal and oceanic habitats and fisheries to ocean acidification using an established framework, and discussing the implications for the Pacific island communities dependent on fisheries and aquaculture for food security and livelihood
Guidelines, brochures, Indicators and published work on the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity which is an international treaty governing the movements of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology from one country to another.
Reports on the state of the world's sea turtles
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 :
This dataset contains preliminary impact assessments of the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcanic eruption and induced tsunami in January 2022.
The eruptions sent a plume of ash, gas and steam 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) into the air. Satellite imagery showed a massive ash cloud and shockwaves spreading from the eruption. Ash was falling from the sky in the Tonga capital, Nuku'alofa, Saturday evening and phone connections were down. The eruption was likely the biggest recorded anywhere on the planet in more than 30 years, according to experts.
"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"