A Rapid Biological Assessment of the Mt. Panié and Roches de la Ouaième region, province Nord, New Caledonia
The Mt. Panié RAP survey was led by a partnership between local communities, Province nord (Northern Province), Conservation International (CI) and Dayu Biik, an indigenous conservation non-profit organization. CI and Province nord’s relationships
with research institutes and experts, both in New Caledonia and internationally, brought together the multiple skills needed for
this comprehensive survey.
Rapid Biological Assessments of the Nakanai Mountains and the upper Strickland Basin: surveying the biodiversity of Papua New Guinea’s sublime karst environments
The independent state of Papua New Guinea (PNG) occupies the eastern half of New Guinea, the world’s largest and highest tropical island and one of the last major tropical wilderness areas on earth. Although New Guinea and nearby smaller islands remain substantially covered with tropical forest and are known to have an immensely rich and highly endemic flora and fauna, much of this biota remains undocumented, as evidenced by spectacular discoveries of both plants and animals during Conservation International’s recent RAP biodiversity surveys on the island (e.g. Richards 2007).
A Rapid Biodiversity Assessment of the Nakorotubu Range, Ra and Tailevu Provinces, Fiji.
Conservation International’s Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) is an innovative biological inventory program designed to use scientific information to catalyze conservation action. RAP methods are designed to rapidly assess the biodiversity of highly diverse areas and to train local scientists in biodiversity survey techniques. Since 1990, RAP’s teams of expert and host-country scientists have conducted 60 terrestrial, freshwater aquatic (AquaRAP), and marine biodiversity surveys and have contributed to building local scientific capacity for scientists in 26 countries.
A rapid biodiversity assessment of the Nakauvadra Highlands, Ra Province, Fiji
The Republic of Fiji consists of approximately 300 islands located roughly 3000 km east of Australia in the Pacific Ocean (between 16o and 20oS, 177oW and 175oE). There are four main islands in the Fiji group: Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Taveuni and Kadavu. The two largest islands, Viti Levu (10,544 km2) and Vanua Levu (5,535 km2) comprise 88% of the total land area (~18,300 km2). It is estimated that no more than 100 islands are permanently inhabited. Most of the islands are the remnants of once active volcanoes sitting on a piece of the Pacific Plate.
A Rapid Marine Biodiversity Assessment of the Coral Reefs of the Northwest Lagoon, between Koumac and Yandé, Province Nord, New Caledonia
Here we report the findings from the Marine Rapid Assessment Survey of the coral reefs of the northwest lagoon (Yandé to Koumac) of Nouvelle Calédonie. For the executive summary a brief overview on the Marine Rapid Assessment Program and on New Caledonia is presented first including general information on the inscription of the tropical lagoons and coral reefs of New Caledonia as a World Heritage Site. Further background information is presented for the two communes of Poum and Koumac that lie adjacent to the reef sites surveyed.
A Rapid Biodiversity Assessment of the Kaijende Highlands, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (PNG) is an independent state occupying the eastern half of New Guinea, the world’s largest and highest tropical island. In recognition of its extensive remaining forest cover, spectacular biological diversity and low human population density, New Guinea has been recognised as one of the world’s five High Biodiversity Wilderness Areas (Mittermeier et al. 2003). In addition to extensive low- and mid-elevation tropical forests, New Guinea has extensive high-montane environments, particularly along the central mountainous spine of the island.
A Rapid Marine Biodiversity Assessment of Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea—Survey II (2000)
This report presents the results of a rapid field assessment of Milne Bay Province, which encompasses the extreme southeastern tip of mainland Papua New Guinea and an extensive offshore area immediately eastward. It covers approximately 265,000 square kilometres, mostly situated in the Solomon Sea, an area heavily dotted with islands and shoals separating PNG from the neighboring Solomon Islands.
outhern New Ireland, Papua New Guinea: A Biodiversity Assessment
Biologically, New Ireland has remained one of the least studied regions of Papua New Guinea (PNG), and the mountainous southern zone has been considered both a high priority for biodiversity conservation and a major “scientific unknown” (Beehler 1993). For these reasons, and because of the information needs of the now terminated conservation and development project established there by the United Nations Development Program (funded by the Global Environment Facility), Conservation International agreed to organize a rapid assessment (RAP) of the forests and wildlife of southern New Ireland.
“Our fish are not your marine biodiversity”: tensions in integrating fisheries into the BBNJ Agreement
The 2023 Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement aims to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. However, separating fisheries from broader conservation frameworks has led to fragmented governance. This paper examines how spatial, technological, institutional, and philosophical tensions complicated efforts to integrate fisheries within the BBNJ framework. A qualitative methodology was used to analyse general perceptions of fisheries within marine biodiversity in the context of BBNJ Agreement and negotiations.