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Rarotonga the capital of the Cook Islands is rapidly developing with tourism as one of the major income earners for the country. The health of the lagoon and reef is important for the welfare of the people. It is vital that the health of the lagoon is monitored and action is taken to protect the health of the lagoon, coral reef and the people that use it. Human activities contribute to the decreased water quality, for example farming of pigs, deforestation and farming crops close to streams. The water quality monitoring programme gives an evaluation of the state of the streams and lagoon, and can be used to identify issues that need to be addressed.

Coral Reefs, Seagrass beds, mangroves, sand and mud shore and intertidal flats, Barrier dunes and their associated lagoons, deltaic floodplains and estuaries, rocky shorelines, reef walls and drop-off areas, sea mounts from the complex marine habitats of PNG. Marine organisms associated with this array of habitats are important components of the rich marine biodiversity of Papua New Guinea. Coral diversity is typically very high in Papua New Guinea's reefs and this is globally significant. In Kimbe Bay of West New Britain, a total of 345 species of coral were reported. This number compares favourably to that of other detailed surveys conducted in Australia, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines and elsewhere in Papua New Guinea and at the time was amongst the highest ever reported from such a small area. Two thirds of the coral reefs surveyed had high levels of live reef cover (greater than 50%), and many individual sites had extensive areas of very high coral cover (greater than 75%) indicating the near pristine state of the coral reefs at those locations.

Marine spatial planning (MSP) is a management tool that is increasingly being used around the country and world to coordinate decisions for coastal and ocean activities and environments in a comprehensive plan. MSP uses data on the location of important marine resources, human activities, and other key components to determine the most appropriate locations for particular uses to achieve ecological, economic and social objectives. The planning process often displays and analyzes this information using maps and other tools to inform the development of the plan.

The Annual Report on the performance of the FFA Secretariat is an essential component of our accountability framework.

The Annual Report on the performance of the FFA Secretariat is an essential component of our accountability framework.

The Annual Report on the performance of the FFA Secretariat is an essential component of our accountability framework.

The Annual Report on the performance of the FFA Secretariat is an essential component of our accountability framework.

The Annual Report on the performance of the FFA Secretariat is an essential component of our accountability framework.

The Government of the Republic of Palau has developed this National Spill Contingency Plan (NATPLAN) as part of its commitment to protecting our valuable coastal and marine resources from an eminent or substantial threat to the marine environment or public. NATPLAN has been developed to reflect the essential steps necessary to initiate, conduct and terminate an emergency spill response on, or into the navigable waters of the Republic of Palau, on the adjoining shorelines, the waters of the contiguous zone or into waters of the exclusive economic zone.