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Long lifespans and wide-ranging migrations make the seven species of sea turtles difficult to monitor. They are susceptible to many sources of mortality, including direct and incidental “takes” (basically any potential impact on a turtle or its behavior [50 CFR 17.3]) from coastal and oceanic human activities worldwide. All six of the species that occur in U.S. waters1 (loggerhead [Caretta caretta], green [Chelonia mydas], hawksbill [Eretmochelys imbricata], Kemp’s ridley [Lepidochelys kempii], olive ridley [Lepidochelys olivacea], and leatherback [Dermochelys coriacea]) are listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act, thereby prohibiting their direct harvest, although incidental take is permitted under some circumstances. (The seventh sea-turtle species is the flatback (Natator depressus), which is only found in the waters around Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia.) Accurate assessments are necessary to evaluate the status and trends of populations and the impacts of incidental takes and to assess the value of implemented protections on specific populations.

Ecosystems, from forests and freshwater to coral reefs and soils, deliver essential services to humankind estimated to be worth over USD 72 trillion a year – comparable to World Gross National Income. Yet in 2010, nearly two-thirds of the globe’s ecosystems are considered degraded as a result of damage, mismanagement and a failure to invest and reinvest in their productivity, health and sustainability.

On 2 April 2007 a large earthquake and tsunami hit the western Solomon Islands causing varying degrees of damage and disruption to coastal communities. In order to assist with prioritisation of assistance to affected communities, the WorldFish Center and WWF-Solomon Islands (WWF-SI) combined to carry out an immediate assessment of impacts on selected villages within the affected area. This assessment was focused on immediate damage to and needs of the coastal fisheries, including environment and infrastructure, though the opportunity was taken to assess more general damage and threats to the long term, sustainable recovery of coastal fisheries.

A rapid assessment of the environmental impacts of the 29 September tsunami was conducted by a multi-agency team from 3 to 14 October, 2009. Fourteen “green” and 10 “brown” environmental variables were selected and measured based on the experience of the survey team and similar reports from elsewhere. During a tour of the affected area on Upolu by car and on foot those “assessable” variables were scored “high” (over two thirds affected), “medium” (over one third, less than two thirds affected), “low” (less than a third affected) or zero (unaffected). Manono and Savaii were surveyed by air with the former showing evidence of some damage and the later apparently none or very little. The most affected areas in Upolu were villages in the Aleipata, Lepa and Falealili districts with the most obvious indicators of the tsunami’s impact being solid waste (sometimes resulting from the complete destruction of a village), erosion of the beach and fore-shore and the (expected) impact on marine resources. Other environmental variables assessed also showed similar patterns. Impacts on a wharf/dry dock facility are also described (including lost fuel drums) as are the possible environmental implications of new settlements created by displaced persons (mainly revolving around sanitation, drainage and water supply).

This brief report outlines how the climate of the Pacific is projected to change, how climate change has affected fisheries elsewhere in the world, and how it is expected to affect fisheries and aquaculture in the Pacific. The emphasis is on the implications for economies of Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). It concludes with general recommendations that should help the regional and national management agencies and other stakeholders in fisheries to adapt to maintain the benefits of fisheries. The assessments of the projected effects of climate change, and the recommended approaches for adaptation, are preliminary. They are derived from the early phases of a major regional project to assess the vulnerability of fisheries and aquaculture in the Pacific to climate change coordinated by SPC and supported by AusAID1. The project is due to be completed by mid 2010 and will deliver a much more comprehensive assessment of likely impacts, practical adaptations, and investments needed to address key gaps in knowledge.

The waters surrounding Choiseul contain some of the highest diversities of coral and reef fish in the world, with the 2004 Solomon Island Marine Assessment showing that the Solomon Islands are part of the global centre for marine diversity known as the Coral Triangle. Other countries that make up the Coral Triangle are Indonesia, Philippines, parts of Malaysia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea. Since 2004 The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Lauru Land Conference of Tribal Community (LLCTC) and Choiseul provincial fisheries have assisted five local communities around Choiseul in their efforts to establish Marine Conservation Areas (MCA) on their traditional reefs. The first MCA to be established was the Zinoa MCA. Zinoa is located on the south-west side of Choiseul in the Solomon Islands. The Zinoa MCA was established by traditional leaders in November 2004, covering 150 hectares and consisting of two islands and associated reefs that occur approximately one kilometre offshore from Voza village on the Choiseul mainland. The reefs around Zinoa Islands are representative of this region of the South coast of Choiseul. In early 2005 sea cucumbers, trochus and giant clams around Zinoa Islands were reported by traditional reef owners to be only a tiny fraction of their former abundance and food fish populations were also reported to be in decline.

Fiji is an enormous archipelago with diverse landscapes and climate. More than 300 islands are scattered over 1.3 million square kilometers of the South Pacific Ocean, lying between latitudes of 12 degrees and 22 degrees South and between longitude 175 degrees East and 178 degrees West. The two largest islands are Viti Levu, where most of the population resides, and Vanua Levu to the North. Together, they comprise 87 per cent of the total land area. The islands are characterized by diverse ecosystems including significant areas of natural forest. Wide ranges of coastal and marine ecosystems exist, ranging from extensive areas of mangroves to various coral formations

Nauru is located 41 km South of the equator at 0o 32' South latitude and 166o 56' East longitude. Its most southerly point (which is the airport runway extension in Yaren District) is mapped at 61.3 km south of the equator. Its most northerly point in Ewa district is mapped at 55.6 km south of the equator. Nauru is some 2000 km East-Northeast of Papua New Guinea, 4450 km South-Southeast of the Philippines and an equal distance to the Southwest of Hawaii. The nearest island is Banaba (Ocean Island), 300 km due East, which is part of the Republic of Kiribati. The main islands of Kiribati lie a further 400 km to the East

While leatherback turtles share many features of their biology with the hard-shelled turtles, Family Cheloniidae, leatherback turtles also are characterized by a number of unique features. The leatherback turtle can be regarded as a warm-blooded reptile. They can maintain a core body temperature well above that of the surrounding waters. To maintain these elevated temperatures they must be able to generate endogenous heat via utilisation of thermogenic brow fat tissue.

The Indian Ocean - South-East Asia (IOSEA) 'Year of the turtle 2006' aims to unite nations and communities to celebrate marine turtles and to support their conservation. While increasing public awareness and understanding of the threats faced by marine turtles, the campaign highlights the work of dedicated organisations that are striving to conserve these ancient creatures and the habitats on which they depend.