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The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP) is once again supporting local communities who are at great risk from climate change due to their fragile ecosystems.

A recent study by the Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC), in collaboration with Stanford University and the University of Queensland, has uncovered how the natural shapes of coral reefs interact with ocean currents and waves to influence coral growth.

Pacific Island nations, including Fiji, are leading global efforts to protect marine biodiversity in areas beyond national borders.  The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty aims to create rules for conserving and sustainably using marine life in high sea areas.

U.S. Congresswoman Amata Radewagen, who represents American Samoa, has urged the Trump administration to reopen most of an enormous marine protected area in the Central Pacific Ocean to industrial fishing while also recommending the reopening of other Pacific MPAs.

Vanuatu, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, leads by example for managing marine resources in a way that doesn't harm the environment. Vanuatu is a nation where the ocean is significantly larger than the land, comprising 98% of the country's territory.

On the island of Taveuni, where the lush greenery meets the deep blue of the Pacific, 43-year old Organic Farmer, Mr. Liopoli Cirimaitoga, is proving that the land can heal if given the chance.

Blue carbon is the organic carbon captured and stored in vegetated coastal ecosystems, especially mangroves, seagrass and tidal marshes. Due to their high sequestration rates, they are a valuable tool in climate change mitigation.

Regional partners are calling on Fiji to speed up its ratification of the BBNJ Agreement as other countries move forward with their commitments under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Samoa is taking steps to strengthen its capacity on environmental law, critical to  address pressing environmental issues for Pacific resilience.

The workshop aims to serve as a familiarisation exercise for national agencies, ensuring that all relevant stakeholders are aware of their respective roles and responsibilities under the BBNJ Agreement.