The Tokelau Islands consist of three atolls (Atafu, Nukunonu and Fakaofo) approximately 500 km north of Western Samoa. Their numerous islets are formed mainly of coral sand and rubble with no standing freshwater.
In Samoa the Tectus pyramis and the Turbo chrysostomus are generally spread through out the reefs within suitable habitats. These habitats are mainly of shallow sunlit waters within the lagoon and reefs.
Most of the marine protected areas (MPAs) around the world, estimated to number about 5000, have been established both on an ad hoc basis and through systematic planning processes. The
New Caledonia is surrounded by a large and rich lagoon which is enclosed by a barrier reef over 1,000 km long. Exploitation of the living lagoon resources to meet local requirements for
The Vanuatu National Forest Inventory commenced in 1989. Field survey activities were primarily undertaken through the Vanuatu dry season and were completed in 1991.
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.
A great deal of deep-sea biodiversity is concentrated around features known as seamounts. Seamounts are like underwater islands - mountains that rise 1,000 meters or higher from the seabed but do not break the ocean surface.
Jonathan Sauer (1961) remarked, in his Coastal Plant Geography of Mauritius, that the chance to study the coastal vegetation there was like being "admitted to a field worker's paradise"
Coral reefs in Micronesia and American Samoa appear to be amongst the most resilient in the world, despite numerous on-going threats; There has been considerable recovery of reefs in western Micronesia (especially Palau) that were devastated during the massive coral bleaching in 1998; The more re
