The Pacific Ocean covers 35% of the Earth’s surface, which means that the Pacific people are the stewards of approximately 40 million square kilometres of seafloor. The PACIOCEA project (the South Pacific Ocean Ecosystem Analysis), will help enhance local and regional capacity for improving conservation and sustainable ocean management through marine spatial planning.
PACIOCEA will run for two years with a range of activities to address the priorities of the Pacific Oceanscape Framework, which envisions a secure future for Pacific Island Countries and Territories based on sustainable development, management and conservation of our Ocean. The activities under this project will also explore and build marine spatial planning tools for use in the region. GRID-Arendal will contribute its expertise onglobal seafloor geomorphology to enhance the understanding of deep-sea ecosystems in the Pacific region by providing spatial analysis of the seafloor features in the region.
GRID-Arendal will also contribute to expert and stakeholder workshops designed to explore and develop marine spatial planning in the region. The project will ultimately enhance trans-boundary collaboration and the implementation of theRio convention in the South Pacific. PACIOCEA is funded by the European Union, managed by the French MPA Agency and coordinated by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). Other partners are the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO and the French Institute of Research for Development.
In this project, GRID-Arendal will contribute its expertise on global seafloor geomorphology to enhance the understanding of deep-sea ecosystems in the Pacific region by providing spatial analysis of the seafloor features in the region (see above).
Seminars/meetings/conferences related to the marine environment where representatives from GRID-Arendal have participated:
Marine Spatial Planning in Practice Workshop, Cambridge, UK, 6-8 May – an initiative to strengthen the practical use of Marine Spatial Planning for local, national and regional marine and coastal management and policy implementation.
Meeting of the Group of Experts of the World Oceans Assessment (WOA), New York, USA, 6-9 May – drafting the first report to be delivered by the end of 2014.
Fourth WAVES Partnership Meeting, Washington D.C., USA, 14-15 May – bringing together WAVES countries and other partners to share their successes and challenges, focusing on water and ecosystem accounts.
Mangroves and climate change hearing at the Norwegian Parliament, Oslo, Norway, 20 May – exploring Norwegian interest in Blue Carbon.
Training on Integrating marine Ecosystem Services into Development Planning, Cebu, Philippines, 21-23 May – offered through the Blue Solutions Initiative.
Regional Forum on Solutions for Oceans, Coasts and Human Well-Being in Asia and the Pacific, Cebu, Philippines, 27-30 May – hosted by the Blue Solutions Initiative.
Arendal, Norway: Aksjon Rydd Strand (“Clean a Beach”). About 300 ninth grade pupils from five local schools will have a different schoolday outdoors. They will go to some of the most popular beaches in the area to clear them from litter and waste.
Nairobi, Kenya: United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA). The overarching theme of this first session of UNEA is “Sustainable Development Goals and the Post-2015 Development Agenda, including sustainable consumption and production”, which is designed to inform ongoing discussions on the formulation of a set of targets and indicators that would succeed the Millennium Development Goals. Ministers will also discuss the issue of illegal trade in wildlife, an issue that is generating increasing global attention due to its adverse impact on biodiversity. Other issues on the UNEA agenda range from environmental rule of law to UNEP programme of work and budget.
GRID-Arendal has been featured in a local TV production. The programme is in Norwegian, but GRID staff are interviewed in English. Watch it here, starting from 17 min 40 sec.
…African governments have adopted the first ever continental Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa? The framework provides structured guidance to Africa’s fisheries management agencies and other stakeholders to facilitate reforms toward coherent national and regional policies.
…Cocos Island is getting a new surveillance system to combat illegal fishing and poaching in its marine protected area? The waters around Cocos Island are home to sharks, leatherback sea turtles and other species that are threatened by illegal fishing and poaching.
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Mother and calf humpback whales, Ha’apai Islands, Tonga. There is a very strong bond between mother and calf and they spend a lot of time in close physical contact.
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