News

A spectacular new butterfly species has been discovered on the Pacific Island of Vanua Levu in Fiji. The species, named last week as Papilio natewa after the Natewa Peninsula where it was found, is a remarkable discovery in a location where butterfly wildlife was thought to be well known.

A case study from West Papua, Indonesia, reports that, since MPA establishment, the average increase in live coral cover is 12 percent across the MPAs. Click on the link below to read the full article. 

The study investigated changes in the abundance of bird species inside and outside conservation areas over five decades. According to observations made by the researchers, conservation areas are excellent habitats for many species. Click on the link below to read the full article. 

Marine litter scientists from the UK kick-off work with partners in the South Pacific this week to tackle plastic pollution in the ocean. Click on the link below to read the full article. 

Papua New Guinea has announced its commitment to creating 7,500 square kilometers of marine protected areas in the Bismarck Sea by 2021. Click on the link below to read the full article. 

The MOOC on Pacific Islands in a Changing Climate si an update of the UNESCO e-learning Master Class run at USP for the last two years. Click on the link below to register for the MOOC. 

Strangely, biodiversity indicators used to describe the state of the environment and measure progress toward the Aichi targets consider only native species.

We strongly disagree with the approach of combining counts of native and non-native species because this will reduce our capacity to detect the effects of non-native species on native biodiversity with potentially devastating consequences. Click on the link below to access the full paper

Here, I argue that biodiversity and sustainability indices should include all species. This is not only consistent with definitions of biodiversity but also will promote the idea that long-term, sustainable, human well-being is intricately tied to benefits derived from nature.

FSM leaders in 2013 enacted a law that protects sharks, whales and dolphins, in addition to manta rays, in Yap. Click on the link below to read the full article.