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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.

This paper describes the channels known as hoa which are characteristic of atoll land rims and of some islands on barrier reefs, where they often dissect previously more continuous reef-top sediment accumulations and conglomerate platforms. They are especially common in the central Pacific, and are particularly well developed in some atolls of the Tuamotu Archipelago and on some of the Society Islands. Published hypotheses accounting for the origin and development of hoa of different kinds are outlined. Contemporary hoa on the north side of Hull Atoll in the Phoenix Islands are described and surveyed, as are older, probably Holocene hoa, here termed 'paleohoa', on the same atoll. Regional and local distributions of hoa and paleohoa and differences in hoa morphology are used to assess theories of hoa formation. Both hoa and paleohoa are attributed to hurricane activity, and the presence of paleohoa may thus give an indication of the distribution of hurricanes in the Holocene.

The State of the Environment (SOE) Report includes all those environmental problems that have been identified to date in Tokelau. This report also serves to illustrate the severity of some of these problems, and how we may expect to resolve them. More specific details of actions which will address these environmental problems are included in the Tokelau Environmental Management Strategy (TEMS)

The Kingdom of Tonga consists of 170 scattered islands of which 36 are inhabited. There are three main groups of islands and the estimated total land area is 747 km2. The islands are mainly elevated coral reefs with some having volcanic origin. The coralline and limestone islands, consisting of those in the Tongatapu, Ha’apai and Vava’u groups, are immediately west of the Tonga Trench, while further west is a line of small volcanic islands some of which are still active. The area of the inshore fishing grounds of Tongatapu has been estimated to be 947 km2, of which reefs and mangroves make up 11.2 and 0.36 per cent respectively, with the remaining consisting of shallow and deep lagoon with an outer shelf less than 160 m deep. The potential Exclusive Economic Zone of Tonga covers an area of approximately 700,000 km2 as compared to about 395,000 km2 under the 1887 Royal Proclamation. The total human population recorded in 1976 was 90,098 and 94,649 in 1986. This represented an intercensal growth rate of 5.0 per cent or an annual increase of 0.5 per cent. The projected 1996 population for Tonga is 101,107.