2014
Focal Points, government representatives as well as representatives of partner organisations, Indian Ocean Commission and UNEP attended the Nairobi Convention Focal Points Meeting on 26 February 2014 in Mombasa, Kenya. The meeting was organized by the Secretariat for the Nairobi Convention at the kind invitation of the Government of Kenya.
Climate variability and change are among the biggest challenges of the 21st century. Like in many other areas globally, the coastal communities of Tanzania have always been facing climatic varia- bility at various time scales. Using focus group discussion and a household survey, this study ana- lyzes the perceptions of climate variability and change and the strategies for coping and adapta- tion by the selected coastal rural and peri-urban communities in Tanzania.
The sea cucumber industry, which is known to be particularly vulnerable to overexploitation and collapse, has been under tremendous pressure in Mauritius since the mid-2000s. Consequently, in 2010, the Ministry of Fisheries imposed a two-year ban on the collection of sea cucumbers, which was later extended for another four years (2012–2016) to avoid the collapse of the fishery.
Bioconstructions such as coralligenous outcrops and maërl beds are typical Mediterranean underwater seascapes. Fine-scale knowledge on the distribution of these sensitive habitats is crucial for their effective management and conservation. In the present study, a thorough review of existing spatial datasets showing the distribution of coralligenous and maërl habitats across the Mediterranean Sea was undertaken, highlighting current gaps in knowledge.
Knowing less about the deep sea habitats than the surface of the moon Most scientifi c studies have focused on easily accessible coastal waters and surface ocean. Only a small percentage of the deep seafl oor has been subject to biological investigation. Revealing the natural beauty and ecological value of deep sea habitats With the technological advances of the past few decades, much has been added to our knowledge of deep sea habitats, and people have begun to realize the value and importance of this large and remote habitat to life on Earth.
For the first time, a composite map of the world’s ecosystem assets has been produced, covering both marine and terrestrial realms. In this report for the UNEP Division of Early Warning and Assessment, UNEP-WCMC has combined information about key ecosystem assets into global maps. The assets included are freshwater resources, soil quality, organic carbon, terrestrial and marine biodiversity, and global fish catch (as a proxy for marine fish stocks).