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One of the recommendations emerging from the COP-8 (Decision XIII/8 [6]) promoted a series of regional and/or sub-regional workshops on capacity building for NBSAPs. These will
be held with the aim to discuss national experiences in implementing NBSAPs, the integration of biodiversity concerns into relevant sectors, obstacles, and ways and means
for overcoming these obstacles. It was recommended that these workshops be held (subject to the availability of funding) prior to COP-9, to provide an opportunity to directly support

"National Parks belong to the people. Every man, woman and child in the country
has, as a heritage, these areas which are set aside forever to give pleasure to
present and succeeding generations. Thus, those who use the parks have
responsibility to themselves and to others to treat this great heritage with
care and respect.
Kept in the Vertical File|Available online
Call Number: VF 1247 [EL]
Physical Description: 22 p. ; 29 cm.

Jonathan Sauer (1961) remarked, in his Coastal Plant Geography of Mauritius, that the chance to study the coastal vegetation there was like being "admitted to a field worker's paradise"
and stressed that "most tropical coasts are beautiful and exciting, particularly to people concerned with natural processes . . .." The same can certainly be said for the tropical coasts of the often Edenized islands of the Pacific Ocean. Their "beauty and excitement" is considerably enhanced,

A great deal of deep-sea biodiversity is concentrated around features known as seamounts. Seamounts are like underwater islands - mountains that rise 1,000 meters or higher from the seabed but do not break the ocean surface. Although they have not been comprehensively mapped, it is estimated that there may be more than 100,000 seamounts worldwide. Almost half of these are believed to lie in the Pacific Ocean. To date, less than one percent of known seamounts have been comprehensively studied. The largest mountain range on planet Earth is beneath the ocean the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Helen Reef in the Southwest Islands of Palau is the one of the greatest marine assets of the Hatohobei (Tobi) People and of the Republic of Palau. Helen Reef is known as one of the most biologically diverse coral reef atolls in the Pacific and historically one of the most biologically abundant reefs in Palau,including acclaimed populations of plentiful marine resources including, trochus, turtles, sea cucumbers, seabirds, and many large reef fish.

The main objective of the expedition was to compare as large a series of islands of different climatic conditions, ages and geological origins as possible. This necessitated short visits to each selected island. The structure and components of the ecosystem under study were the focus of attention, while their functioning was considered to be of secondary importance.
3 copies
Call Number: ECO [EL],PC 577.52 ECO
Physical Description: x, 220 p. : ill. ; 30 cm

New Caledonia is surrounded by a large and rich lagoon which is enclosed by a barrier reef over 1,000 km long. Exploitation of the living lagoon resources to meet local requirements for
fish and other seafood has not, up to now, greatly affected the overall bio-ecological balance of the lagoon environment because New Caledonia's population density is very low.
The sea area near the capital of Noumea, where over half of the

In Samoa the Tectus pyramis and the Turbo chrysostomus are generally spread through out the reefs within suitable habitats. These habitats are mainly of shallow sunlit waters within the lagoon and reefs. The juvenile species are mainly found in lesser rough waters while adult species are known to thrive on reef flats towards the reef slopes. They are herbivorous and mainly feed on algae (turf algae), diatoms and foramaniferas on dead corals and rock surfaces. (Bell & Mulipola,) 1995
Available online
Call Number: [EL]

The Tokelau Islands consist of three atolls (Atafu, Nukunonu and Fakaofo) approximately 500 km north of Western Samoa. Their numerous islets are formed mainly of coral sand and rubble with no standing freshwater. Sixty-one plant species have been recorded, 13 of these being introduced and 10 being adventives. There are three vegetation zones, the beach, the beach-crest, and the interior coconut/fern zone with the physiognomy of a humid tropical forest. Marine invertebrates have not been studied.

Nauru is a single Island state with a land area of 21 Km square and a population of approximately 11,300. It is one of the world's smallest Republics and was Nauru part of the German territories from 1886 to 1914. It was then mandated by the League of Nations to Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom. Nauru was administered by these three powers through the Trusteeship system of the United Nations after 1945 until it was granted full independence on the 31 January 1968.