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Species of the gobiid fish genus Redigobius are found throughout the Indo-west Pacific in estuarine and fresh waters, usually close to tidal influence. They are sometimes abundant and several species have entered the aquarium trade.

One of the most important aspects of botany is the identification of plant species. There is a need in many fields of science to know the name of a plant upon which the scientist of layman is working.

There is much debate surrounding the impact of feral cats (Felis catus) on wildlife. Conservancies areusually areas where indigenous flora and fauna are protected and aliens excluded or managed. The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Howard College campus (HCC) is an urban conservancy containing feral cats that are presently not managed, and little is known about their ecology and behaviour. Consequently a feral cat population census was conducted, and their home range investigated. Estimates of the overall campus feral cat population numbers ranged between 23.4–40.0 cats/km2 with a minimum of 55 identified as resident. They were not randomly distributed in the study area, with spacing patterns being related to resource availability. Home range area and core distribution of eight radio-collared cats were determined over 13 months. Total home range areas were relatively small, with considerable overlap between them. Home ranges were clustered in areas with permanent feeding stations and these were also within the cats’ core ranges. Supplemental food resources appear to have a major influence on numbers, home and core range area, and behavior of cats. It is clear that cat densities grow to high levels with reliable and abundant food supply and only ad hoc sterilization. This has implications for their management in the HCC urban conservancy.

The purpose of this report is to provide Wan Smolbag Theatre's (WSB) Vanua-Tai Turtle monitors network and partners with a summary of tagging and nesting information that has been submitted to SPREP for incorporation into the regional turtle research and monitoring database system (TREDS)

Seismic surveying is widely used in the marine environment to define and analyse subsurface geological structures, mainly by the oil and gas exploration and production industry. Seismic surveying utilises a technique that directs acoustic energy (sound) into the rock beneath the sea floor from equipment towed behind a purpose-built seismic vessel.

Sound is very important to whales and dolphins for effective hunting, navigation and communication. Toothed whales and dolphins (e.g killer whales and bottle nose dolphins) use natural sonar system (echolocation) for hunting and navigating Baleen whales (e.g humpback and blue whales) use sound for communicating over long distances by producing a series of sounds which are frequently termed songs.

More people are moving to and living in cities thanever before. In many regions, demand on existingurban infrastructure, supporting eco-systems andfor new building has never been greater

This article is a study on the dietary shift of black rats on Surprise Island, New Caledonia and their impact on the ecosystem in the presence and absence of breeding seabirds.

It is widely recognized that trophic interactions structure ecological communities, but their effects are usually only demonstrated on a small scale. As a result, landscape-level documentations of trophic cascades that alter entire communities are scarce. Islands invaded by animals provide natural experiment opportunities both to measure general trophic effects across large spatial scales and to etermine the trophic roles of invasive species within native ecosystems. Studies addressing the trophic interactions of invasive species most often focus on their direct effects. To investigate both the presence of a landscape-level trophic cascade and the direct and indirect effects of an invasive species, we examined the impacts of Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) introduced to the Aleutian Islands on marine bird densities and marine rocky intertidal community structures through surveys conducted on invaded and rat-free islands throughout the entire 1,900-km archipelago. Densities of birds that forage in the intertidal were higher on islands without rats. Marine intertidal invertebrates were more abundant on islands with rats, whereas fleshy algal cover was reduced. Our results demonstrate that invasive rats directly reduce bird densities through predation and significantly affect invertebrate and marine algal abundance in the rocky intertidal indirectly via a cross-community trophic cascade, unexpectedly changing the intertidal community structure from an algae- to an invertebrate-dominated system.

The Helping Islands Adapt workshop was held in Auckland, New Zealand between the 11th and 16th of April 2010 to support regional action against invasive species on islands, in order to preserve biodiversity and adapt to climate change. It arose from decisions under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) relating to invasive alien species and island biodiversity, and was hosted by the Government of New Zealand with support from a number of partner organisations and countries. The workshop focused on four major island regions: the Caribbean, Coral Triangle, Indian Ocean and Pacific, and involved participation by 82 people from 24 countries and territories, and 29 national, regional and international organisations (see participants list in Appendix 5). The workshop was specifically designed to allow for the maximum exchange of experience and support between representatives from diverse island regions working in invasive species management. It also included a field inspection of one of the Department of Conservation‘s invasive species management projects on Rangitoto Island in Auckland‘s Hauraki Gulf. The workshop built on efforts under the Cooperative Islands Initiative, a partnership launched at the World Summit for Sustainable Development and the CBD 6th Conference of the Parties in 2002. Its intended outputs had been agreed by the organiser‘s steering committee and set out as a 'road map‘ that was used to ensure clarity of the workshop‘s intended purpose, outputs and outcomes. An overview of the workshop, its sponsors, participants and conclusions was developed during the workshop and submitted to the 14th ?Subsidiary Body on Scientific Technical and Technological Advice (SBSSTA 14) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Nairobi 10-21 May 2010. That report is provided in full in Appendix 5 to these proceedings.