Field report of the mission to Tonga, focusing on coral reefs surrounding the islands in the Ha'apai group (Sep 11-21),
Vava'u (Sep 22-28) and Niuaatoputapu (Sep 29-Oct 1).
Herein, is the final field report on a study that KSLOF has undertaken to assess the health and resilience of the coral reefs in the Kingdom of Tonga . The study took place in September-October 2013.
pdf of Tonga State of Environment Report 2018 - lower resolution version best for viewing on computer.
Tonga State of Environment Report 2018 - high resolution version best for print.
6 page summary of the full SoE. Includes some updated information.
This dataset hosts 31 individual environmental indicator assessments that are in the **State of Environment and Conservation in the Pacific Islands : 2020 Regional report.**
Regional indicators are used to understand the current status of conservation in the region and to establish a process for periodic reviews of the status of biodiversity and implementation of environmental management measures in the Pacific islands region.
Each Pacific regional indicator is assessed with regard to:
DEFINITION : Trend in consumption of ozone depleting substances (ODS)
PURPOSE : Tracks countries progress to phasing out ODS. Ozone depleting substances destroy the earth’s ozone which protects the earth from UV radiation
DESIRED OUTCOME : Negative trend in ODS consumption
DEFINITION : Trend in percentage production of energy from renewable sources
PURPOSE : Energy generation is a major source of GHG emissions. Pacific island countries also have limited capacity for oil and gas storage and are therefore highly vulnerable to fluctuations in fossil fuel price and availability
DESIRED OUTCOME : Positive trend in energy production from renewable sources
DEFINITION : Annual per capita generation of municipal solid waste
PURPOSE : Accurate measurement of per capita waste generation for better waste management
DESIRED OUTCOME : Stabilisation and subsequent negative trend in household waste generated
DEFINITION : Quantity of generated hazardous wastes processed/treated (including export)
PURPOSE : Treatment and safe storage of hazardous waste mitigates the risk to humans and nature. Hazardous materials can have direct and indirect, chronic or acute impacts
DESIRED OUTCOME : Full treatment/processing of all hazardous waste generated
DEFINITION : % of households connected to central sewerage system
PURPOSE : Tracks progress in managing sewage in a way that minimises the risk of water contamination. Untreated sewage and leaking septic systems are a major source of ground and surface water contamination
DESIRED OUTCOME : Positive trend in % of households connected to central sewerage system
In this report, a set of recommendations is provided for each indicator to support the next best steps for management action that will advance progress towards the target outcome and support Pacific people and biodiversity.
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.
The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation completed field research for one of the largest coral reef studies in history: the Global Reef Expedition. The Expedition travelled around the globe surveying some of the most remote reefs on the planet, conducting research to assess coral reef ecosystem health and resiliency.
The Global Reef Expedition visited many countries in the Pacific Ocean to assess the health and resiliency of their coral reef ecosystems. See links below for more information, reports and maps.