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Biodiversity conservation an sustainable use with equitable sharing of benefits derived from its natural services are the basis of human well-being. Vital signs for biodiversity are plummeting and the related ecosystem services seriously undermined. Biodiversity benefits are being threatened by development choices that ignore the full value of these natural services to us all and particularly the poorest. Reversing this negative trend is not only possible, but essential to human well-being.

Previous reef surveys on Rarotonga have shown that the crown-of-thorns outbreak in the late 1990s degraded the fore reefs to its current state departure of corals. The 2006 survey indicated that average coral cover at most sites were less than 5%, however it was noted that recovery was occurring. This is consistent with the present survey, which indicated that most sites have doubled their average percent coral cover after three years with some sites showing a greater than three-fold increas.

According to the Terms of Reference, the Debriefing Note has to be compiled within a month upon the completion of the field mission to Nauru. It has to cover the installation and commissioning of the monitoring equipment and the associated handson training for Nauru Utilities Authority staff. Thus, this Debriefing Note consists of four sections: 1. Installation; 2. Commissioning; 3. Training of NUA staff and 4. Recommendations.

This, the first report, to the CBD marks the beginning of an impetus that was started with the inception of National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) Project. Since February, 2009 when the project started, much work has been carried out consulting local communities in Funafuti and the Outer Islands to determine local knowledge about the environment, perceived trends and threats to biodiversity.

The development of a Solomon Islands national biodiversity and action plan is in response to the commitment made in ratifying the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in 1995. The broad goal of the convention for the Solomon Islands is to conserve and sustainably manage the biodiversity of Solomon Islands. This document, whilst highlighting the extremely high biodiversity of this nation of islands, also identifies some key threats and barriers to conserving biodiversity and focuses on actions to mitigate potential risks.

New Zealand is an island state with unique indigenous biodiversity. Typical of and island, much of New Zealand's indigenous biodiversity is highly endemic, with small, self-sustaining, site-specific populations. Due to these characteristics, populations are susceptible to extinction as a result of catastrophic one-off events or ongoing pressures, which include predation by introduced pests and diseases.

Natural capital – our ecosystems, biodiversity, and natural resources – underpins economies, societies and individual well-being. The values of its myriad benefits are, however, often overlooked or poorly understood. They are rarely taken fully into account through economic signals in markets, or in day to day decisions by business and citizens, nor indeed reflected adequately in the accounts of society.

An invasive alien species are known to cause significant economic and environmental damage. Islands are much more vulnerable to the invasion of invasive alien species, and have higher rates of extinction. In the islands of the South Pacific, there are several species Polynesian land birds which are threatened with extinction due to invasive alien species and human interference. Without any intervention from humans, it is likely that these birds will suffer extinction in the next few decades. The island of Atiu in the Cook Islands (South Pacific) supports a range of avian fauna. In 2007 the Rimitara lorikeet (Vini kuhlii), also known locally as the ‘Kura’ was introduced to Atiu, to make a reserve population, as there were only approximatley 1000 left on the island of Rimitara, French Polynesia. There is concern for this species on Atiu due to the existence of the common myna (Acridotheres tristis). The myna is an aggressive invasive which is one of the world’s worst 100 invasive species. It was introduced to the Cook Islands by the government, with the intention to control the coconut-stick insect (Graeffea crouani), but is now a pest itself. A myna control programme on Atiu is being coordinated and controlled by Gerald McCormack (Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust), working through George Mateariki, and using funding from various conservation organisations. Poisioning is being carried out by George in order to reduce myna numbers, and a bounty has been set on the birds or for every right foot so that the locals can help as much as possible. This investigation aimed to estimate the total population size on the island to use as a starting count to determine whether the programme is successful or not. Two methods were used which included roost counts to find an estimate of the population, and a transect method using a Distance programme to estimate the number of birds per hectare as well as the level of abundance in various habitat types. The two methods had overlapping results, giving a total estimated range of 3250 to 8460 birds on the island, although it is more likely to be at the higher end of this estimate at around 6000 to7000 birds. Further investigation will need to determine any change in the population size, any changes in habitat composition as well as the impact on the native species, especially the effect on the Kura and its population size.

The mission of NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) is to serve as the trustee for a system of marine protected areas, to conserve, protect and enhance biodiversity. To assist in accomplishing this mission, the ONMS has developed a partnership with NOAA's Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment's Biogeography Branch (CCMA-BB) to conduct biogeographic assessments of marine resources within and adjacent to the marine waters of NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries (Kendall and Monaco, 2003).

An overview of the current scientific knowledge available on climate change implications for fisheries and aquaculture is provided through three technical papers that were presented and discussed during the Expert Workshop on Climate Change Implications for Fisheries and Aquaculture. A summary of the workshop outcomes as well as key messages on impacts of climate change on aquatic ecosystems and fisheries - and aquaculture-based livelihoods are provided in the introduction of this Technical Paper. The first paper reviews the physical and ecological impacts of climate change relevant to marine and inland capture fisheries and aqauculture. The paper begins with a review of the physical impacts of climate change on marine and freshwater systems and then connects these changes with observed effects on fish production processes. It also outlines a series of scenarios of climate change impacts on fish production and ecosystems through case studies in different regions and ecosystems. The second paper tackles the consequences of climate change impacts on fisheries and their dependent communities. It analyses the exposure, sensitivity and vulnerability of fisheries to climate change and presents examples of adaptive mechanisms currently used in the sector. The contribution of fisheries to greenhouse gas emissions is addressed and examples of mitigation strategies are given. The role of public policy and institutions in promoting climate change adaptation and mitigation is also explored. Finally, the third paper addresses the impacts of climate change on aquaculture. It provides an overview of the current food fish and aquaculture production and a synthesis of existing studies on climate change effects on aquaculture and fisheries. The paper focuses on the direct and indirect impacts of climate change on aquaculture, in terms of biodiversity, fish disease and fishmeal. Contribution of agriculture to climate change is addressed and mitigation measures that could be implemented.