News

Island plants are special. Not only are islands the origin for almost a third of all plant species in the world, but about a fifth of all the Earth’s plants are found only on islands.

The Great Sea Reef that hugs Fiji’s northwestern shores is a biodiversity hotspot and deeply important to the country and its people. Sometimes called Bainivualiku, “protector of the North,” it serves as a massive natural seawall shielding the islands from wave breaks and storm surges.

Recently created Large-Scale Marine Protected Areas (LSMPAs) like Revillagigedo in Mexico are potentially large enough to protect highly migratory species like tuna, especially bigeye tuna, possibly leading to increases in catch rates for tuna fisheries operating outside their boundaries.

Researchers from The University of Western Australia have captured rare vision of a sleeper shark during an expedition exploring the biodiversity of the Tonga Trench in the south-western Pacific Ocean.

The world’s coral reefs are in the midst of an ecological crisis. These vital ecosystems, home to a quarter of all marine species and a lifeline for more than a billion people, are under unprecedented threat.

In a significant milestone for biodiversity and community resilience in Tonga, invasive rat and feral pig populations have been removed from the uninhabited islets of Kelefesia and Tonumea in the Ha’apai Group.

DOMAVOLA Company Limited, a logging company, has decided not to proceed with operations in the rainforest on Vangunu, Marovo, Western Province.

On the Tetiaroa atoll, the green turtle nesting season continues. Since October, the Te mana o te moana association has recorded more than 300 turtle tracks, identified 17 females and reports that nearly 1,500 baby turtles have reached the ocean.

In Tahiti, around fifteen representatives of the State, the Country, but also of organizations such as Ifrecor went into the water at 6:45 this Saturday morning to observe the synchronized spawning of corals.

The Government of the Republic of Palau and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on January 17, 2025, establishing hosting arrangements for the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC) in Palau.