Our Seas of Islands

In our region, two levels of operation are pertinent to the purposes
of this paper. The first is that of national governments and regional
and international diplomacy, in which the present and future
of Pacific island states and territories are planned and decided on.
Discussions here are the preserve of politicians, bureaucrats, statutory
body officials, diplomats and the military, and representatives
of the financial and business communities, often in conjunction with
donor and international lending organizations, and advised by academic

Engaging the tropical majority to make ocean governance and science more equitable and effective

How can ocean governance and science be made more equitable and effective? The majority of the world’s ocean-dependent people live in low to middle-income countries in the tropics (i.e., the ‘tropical majority’). Yet the ocean governance agenda is set largely on the basis of scientific knowledge, funding, and institutions from high-income nations in temperate zones.

ocean and sky
Recognizing the ocean as a living being is increasingly important for global sustainability, claim researchers

The ocean is the largest of Earth's systems that stabilizes climate and supports life and human well-being. Despite its vital role in our ecosystem, the ocean has been gravely degraded and historically underrepresented within international climate change agreements.

Harnessing island–ocean connections to maximize marine benefits of island conservation

Islands  support  unique  plants,  animals,  and  human societies found nowhere else on the Earth. Local and global stressors threaten the persistence of island ecosystems, with invasive species being among the most damaging, yet solvable, stressors. While the threat of invasive terrestrial mammals on island flora and fauna is well recognized, recent studies have begun to illustrate their extended and destructive impacts on adjacent marine environments.

North Tarawa, Kiribati. Credit - V. Jungblut
New research shows people, wildlife, and marine environment benefit when island-ocean connections are restored

A new perspective published today, December 5, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) titled "Harnessing island–ocean connections to maximize marine benefits of island conservation" recognizes the critical link between island and marine ecos

Blue Economy: Community solutions

The blue economy is an approach put forward by the international community to take into account the health of the oceans and seas as we strive to balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental. This concept promotes economic growth, social inclusion and improved livelihoods at the same time as ensuring the environmental sustainability of oceans and seas.

Saving the ocean and climate through innovative marine protected area finance mechanisms

Ocean threats: acidification, deoxygenation, warming, heatwaves. Do we have anything useful to bend, change, or reverse the results? This brochure, conceived to advocate and educate at the UNFCCC COP27 meetings, summarises these threats and how various solutions (explained within) can actually help protect the ocean as Nature-based Solutions, if correctly constructed, and the existing and emerging financial mechanisms and institutions that can build and fortify these solutions.