This book represents the edited papers and proceedings of the first of two workshops on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity in the Tropical Island Pacific Region held in November 1994 at the East-West Center. It includes taxonomic status reviews for groups of important plants and animals occupying nearshore and coastal tropical ecosystems in the insular Pacific--marine algae, seagrasses, mangroves, corals, sponges, polychaetes, mollusks, crustaceans, echinoderms, inshore Hawaiian fish fauna, Pacific reef and shore fishes, and marine ecosystem. Papers on various biodiversity database and information management systems potentially applicable to the tropical island Pacific include UNEP-IOC (UNESCO)-ASPEI-IUCN Global Task Team on the implications of climate change on coral reefs, the World Conservation Monitoring Centre on handling global biodiversity data, the United States Coral Reef Initiative, ReefBase, CoralBase, FishBase, the Hawaii Biological Survey, the Hawaii Natural Heritage Program natural diversity database, and marine biosystematic/biodiversity priorities. Also included is an outline for an action plan bridging species taxonomy/systematics and information management priorities for use in the conservation and sustainable use of nearshore marine and coastal resources in the region developed during the workshop.

Biodiversity and Climate Change Adaptation in Tropical Islands provides comprehensive information on climate change, biodiversity, possible impacts, adaptation measures and policy challenges to help users rehabilitate and preserve the natural resources of tropical islands. While biodiversity and climate change of tropical islands has previously received less attention, it is ironically one of the most vulnerable regions in this regard. The core content of the work derives largely from the ideas and research output from various reputed scientists and experts who have recorded climate change impacts on aquatic and coastal life in tropical regions. Contributors have direct working experience with the tribes in some of the tropical islands. All of their expertise and information is compiled and presented in the work, including coverage related to climate change. This work highlights the ever-growing need to develop and apply strategies that optimize the use of natural resources, both on land and in water and judicious use of biodiversity. It functions as a critical resource on tropical island biodiversity for researchers, academicians, practitioners and policy makers in a variety of related disciplines. - Covers a huge range of biodiversity documentation, conservation measures and strategies that can be applied to various sectors, from forests to agriculture - Brings together expertise from researchers in the area who have direct experience in the regions described - Contains a wealth of field research related to biodiversity conservation and its applications from a variety of tropical islands

Seagrasses are a vital and widespread but often overlooked coastal marine habitat. This volume provides a global survey of their distribution and conservation status.

Interwoven with recollections of whalers and famous explorers, "Eye of the Albatross" probes the unmistakable environmental impact of the encounters between man and marine life. Safina's portrait results in an eye-opening look at the health of our oceans. 15 illustrations, 13 maps.

"This book is for the person who lives in the tropics or subtropics and is interested in native plants, who wants to know about plants that are useful, who loves to watch plants grow, and who is willing to work with them. Such a person might ask questions like, Where will they grow? How do I grow them? Are they good to eat? How are they used? What are their names? These questions and more are answered here."--Préface