Mangrove ecosystems play a critical role in harbouring biodiversity and providing a variety of ecosystem services. The need for developing better techniques for classifying and monitoring mangroves is increasing, especially with the growing demand in blue carbon markets. However, many countries are challenged by the need to improve their mangrove cover estimates to inform decision-making on coastal land use and to guide local conservation efforts including restoration planning. This manual was developed to help overcome this problem by providing guidance, specifically targeted to build capacity for mangrove resource managers on how to use and take advantage of the latest technologies in mapping and monitoring mangroves. It enables collection of data that informs conservation decision-making, guiding the planning of mangrove restoration and protection activities that will ultimately lead to enhanced management and conservation of mangroves. In addition, case studies are presented on estimating mangrove extent, structure, condition and change, using a range of remote sensing-derived sources that are focused on < 5-m spatial resolution.

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Management approach matters: meeting seagrass recovery and carbon mitigation goals

Seagrass habitats support biodiversity, improve water quality, protect coastlines, and sequester carbon, among other essential ecosystem functions, yet they are declining worldwide due to human activity.

Management of plan for the Ijuw/Anabar wetlands proposed conservation area (PCA) - Republic of Nauru

The management plan describes the priority strategies for the Ijuw/Anabar wetlands Proposed Conservation area (PCA) that will best maintain and improve the key conservation values in this area by reducing the impact of threats, including from climate change.

Management of Village Fisheries; Samoa’s Community-Based Management Strategy

King, M., Passfield, K. and Ropeti, R.  2001. Management of Village Fisheries; Samoa’s Community-Based Management Strategy 

Management Plan Development

Presented here are examples of management plans for various kinds of protected areas from strict nature reserves to local village fisheries management plans.  In addition, there is a discussion on the reasons for management plans and guidelines for writing a management plan.

Management Plan for Upland Areas of Lake Lanoto'o National Park, 2018-2023

The management plan describes the priority strategies for the upland areas of the Lake Lanoto'o National Park that will nest maintain and improve the key conservation values in these areas by reducing the impact of threats including from climate change. 

Management Plan for Upland Areas of Lake Lanuto'o National Park, Samoa

The management plan describes the priority strategies for the upland areas of the Lake Lanuto'o National Park that will best maintain and improve the key conservation values in these areas by reducing the impact of threats, including from climate change.

Managing mynas (Acridotheres fuscus and A. tristis) in the Independent State of Samoa August, 2015 : a plan

This document builds on lessons learned from 10 years of DEC-MNRE action on the myna issue, training workshops on invasive species management, a 2015 myna population transect survey (conservative estimate of total population in Samoa between 129,407 and 188,583 birds), appropriate literature and

Managing Watersheds for Coral Reefs and Public Health.

The health and integrity of coral reef ecosystems are in decline worldwide due to an increasing suite of human activities, which threaten biodiversity and human wellbeing. One of the major drivers of coral reef ecosystem decline is poor water quality from human activities on land.

Mangrove management plan for Fiji 2013

This report, the Mangrove Management Plan 2013 (MMP2013), has been prepared by Dr Dick Watling, Environment Consultants Fiji (ECF) for the Department of the Environment (DoEnv) as the focal point for the Mangrove Eco Systems for Climate Change Adaptation and Livelihood project Project (MESCAL).

Manual for Community Monitoring of Sea Grass Habitat in the Western Pacific

McKenzie, L.J. & Campbell, S.J. 2002 Western Pacific Edition (QFS, NFC, Cairns).  Manual for Community Monitoring of Sea Grass Habitat in the Western Pacific

Manual for Mangrove Monitoring in the Pacific Islands Region

Ellison, J.C., Jungblut, V., Anderson, P., Slaven, C. 2012.  Manual for Mangrove Monitoring in the Pacific Islands Region. SRPEP, Apia, Samoa.

Mapping the patriarchy in conservation

It is essential to ensure the effectiveness of current conservation efforts to meet the interconnected crises of biodiversity loss, habitat degradation, and climate change.

MAQTRAC Marine Aquarium Trade Coral Reef Monitoring Protocol Field Manual

Hodgson, G and Ochavillo, D. 2006.  MAQTRAC Marine Aquarium Trade Coral Reef Monitoring Protocol Field Manual. Reef Check Foundation. Pacific Palisades, California USA.

Marine Atlas Maximising Benefits for Kiribati.

While the ocean covers more than two thirds of the Earth’s surface, the oceanic territory of Kiribati is morethan 4,000 times larger than its land territory. With an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 3.55 million km2,Kiribati is a large ocean state.

Marine Atlas, Maximising Benefits for Tonga

While the ocean covers more than two thirds of the Earth’s surface, the oceanic territory of Tonga is over 1,000 timeslarger than its land territory. With an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 700,000 km2, Tonga is a large ocean state.

Marine biodiversity law in Fiji, Solomon and Vanuatu Islands : final report

The research agreement signed on 19th December 2005 by the Institute of Research for Development (IRD), the University Paul Sabatier (Toulouse III) and Nantes University, the Pharmacochemical laboratories of Natural Substances and Pharmacophores Redox (UMR 1165) and the Centre of Maritime and Oce

Marine biodiversity law in Fiji, Solomon and Vanuatu Islands : final report

The research agreement signed on 19th December 2005 by the Institute of Research for Development (IRD), the University Paul Sabatier (Toulouse III) and Nantes University, the Pharmacochemical laboratories of Natural Substances and Pharmacophores Redox (UMR 1165) and the Centre of Maritime and Oce

Marine Bioregions of Fiji.

Marine spatial planning is underway now, or starting, in many Pacific Island countries, including Fiji.

Marine Bioregions of the Solomon Islands

Marine spatial planning is underway now, or starting, in many Pacific Island countries, including the Solomon Islands.

Marine Bioregions of Tonga

Marine spatial planning is underway now, or starting, in many Pacific Island countries, including Tonga.

Marine Bioregions of Vanuatu

In 2014, the Council of Ministers (Decision No. 172/2014) decided to start implementation of, amongst other things, a Marine Spatial Plan for the nation.

Marine protected areas as living labs? Lessons learned & future perspectives

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) management usually involves bringing multiple stakeholders together, to construct policy-relevant research programs and science-based tools for adaptive management.

Marine Sanctuary Management Plan, Pacific BioScapes Programme - Samoa

The Pacific BioScapes Programme is providing support to produce the Samoa National Marine Sanctuary Management Plan (SNMSMP) which will provide guidance for government and the public to implement existing regulations which established the sanctuary to protect whales, dolphins, sharks, rays and tu

Marine spatial planning and ocean governance in Small Island Developing States

Marine spatial planning (MSP), initially developed to address the needs of the global North, is gaining significant traction in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and is hailed as a collaborative governance instrument for managing and optimizing the allocation of ocean space.

Marine spatial planning in ocean governance: Fijian perspectives

Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) is a globally established tool to support integrated ocean management.

Marine Spatial Planning, Pacific BioScapes Programme - Cook Islands

The Pacific BioScapes Programme aims to strengthen the sustainable use of marine and coastal resources through the use of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) to achieve key ecological, economic, cultural and social objectives.

Marine Turtle Status report for Solomon Islands 2022

The marine turtle states review for Solomon Islands 2022 was commissioned to inform the development of the country's 5-year National plan of Action (NPOA) - Marine Turtles 2022-2026.

Microbiomes may be corals’ secret weapon against climate change: Study

As ocean temperatures set new heat records, coral reef scientists are on a mission to identify which species and reefs can tolerate heat stress the best. But how and why do some corals cope with heat extremes better than others?

Mobilizing Finance for Biodiversity: The Private Finance Sector and the Implementation of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs)

Nature is the foundation of life on Earth, underpinning the ecosystem services that sustain societies and economies. Yet, its degradation continues at an alarming rate, threatening planetary resilience and human well-being.

Monitoring Coral Reef Marine Protected Areas: Version 1. A Practical Guide on how Monitoring can Support Effective Management of MPAs

Wilkinson, C. Green, A,  Almany, J. and Dionne, S. 2003. Monitoring Coral Reef Marine Protected Areas:  Version 1. A Practical Guide on how Monitoring can Support Effective Management of MPAs.

Monitoring for Management of Protected Areas- An Overview

Rao, M., Stokes, e. and Johnson, a. 2009.  Monitoring for Management of Protected Areas- An Overview. Training Module 6 for the Network of Conservation Educators and Practitioners.

Monitoring Wildlife Populations for Management

Stokes, E., A. Johnson and M. Rao. 2010. Monitoring Wildlife Populations for Management. Training Module 7 for the Network of Conservation Educators and Practitioners.

More than half the world’s forests fragmented in 20 years — but protection works: Study

“If you can imagine walking into a huge, 1,000-kilometer square [386-square-mile] tropical forest … it’s moist and damp [with] rich soil and an overstory. You imagine walking into a 10-meter [33-foot] patch of forest and it’s just a totally different thing.

MPA Enforcement Toolkit

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are essential for conserving marine biodiversity, ensuring sustainable fisheries, and maintaining the health of ocean ecosystems.

MPAth-Marine Protected Area Tool Hub

The “Marine Protected Area Tool Hub” is an educational platform that is practitioner-focused at every level and developed to help you with your personalised challenges.

National and Regional Networks of marine protected areas: a review of progress

Most of the marine protected areas (MPAs) around the world, estimated to number about 5000, have been established both on an ad hoc basis and through systematic planning processes. The

National Marine Conservation Assessment for Papua New Guinea (Draft)

Papua New Guinea is committed to the establishment of a network of marine protected areas to fulfill national and international commitments.

National-level evaluation of a community-based marine management initiative

Community-based approaches to conservation and natural resource management are considered essential to meeting global conservation targets.

Natural World Heritage in Oceania

Natural and mixed World Heritage (WH) has generally not been a success in the Oceania region, due to limited support at all levels, unrealistic expectations about what WH can and cannot deliver, and a lack of resources to support all aspects of the WH process, particularly WH site management.

Nature-Related Finance and Indigenous Peoples

This briefing provides an overview of the interlinkages between the financial sector, nature and Indigenous Peoples.

Navakavu-Community Based Marine Resource Management in Fiji

In understanding effective marine management, the project aims to support communities in its five partner countries to learn about existing management practices.

Navigator - a global database of verified marine protected and managed area regulations and boundaries

Comprehensive, global, and standardized data on ocean regulations are essential to assess protection levels. They are also key to successfully measuring progress towards 30 × 30 goals.

NBSAP Workshop Reports 2024 - 2025

This dataset contains reports from several workshops held in the Cook Islands as part of the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAP) process.

New IUCN report identifies challenges and opportunities for Natural World Heritage in Oceania ahead of UNOC3

The Pacific region has witnessed some of humanity's greatest achievements. It is a vibrant tapestry of diverse cultures and languages and holds immense global significance for its biodiversity and geodiversity. Despite this, it remains very poorly represented on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Niue Pig Management Plan

Feral and wandering domestic pigs collectively cause significant environmental damage in Niue, chiefly to coconut crab populations, seedling coconuts, soil organisms, soil structure and fertility transfer. They also cause significant economic damage to plantations and domestic gardens.

O Le Pupu Pu'e National Park (Ramsar Site) Management Plan 2020-2030

O Le Pupu-Pu'e National Park was the first Park established in Samoa at a time when the environment movement and concerns for our unique biodiversity and natural features was still only a passing thought.

O le Pupu Pu'e National Park Management Plan (Ramsar Site)

The purpose of this management plan is to set objectives and policies that will guide the Park Management with its implementation programs in accordance with the Lands, Survey and Environment Act 1989, Section 116.

O Le Pupu-Pu'e National Park: Management Plan 2010-2014

A Management Plan for the O Le Pupu-Pu'e National park was first formulated in 1981 and has not been revised since then. Circumstances for park management have changed significantly and some sections of the Management plan are now out of date.

Ocean travellers: Safeguarding Critical Habitats for Migratory Sharks and Rays

Sharks and rays are among the most threatened vertebrates on the planet, facing intense pressure from overfishing, habitat loss and degradation and inadequate protection across critical sites for life-history processes and their migratory ranges.