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In recent weeks we have seen catastrophic natural disasters: the powerful earthquake which rocked central China and the destructive cyclone which struck Myanmar. The UN Atlas community sends its thoughts to the people of these devastated areas. Cyclone Nargis and its tidal surge hit the Ayeyarwady Delta, Myanmar, in early May causing massive loss of life and property. What were once uncommon weather events are becoming more frequent and their impact is likely to increase with climate change. Low-lying coastal communities, like this one in Myanmar, are particularly vulnerable. As with all emergency efforts and responses, planning and cooordination are crucial. But preparedness is also vital. Securing world food security in light of the impact of climate change may be one of the biggest challenges we face in this century. A High-Level Conference on World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy to enhance international efforts will be hosted by FAO in Rome, Italy from 3-5 June 2008. Many Heads of State and Governments will be attending, as well as the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon.
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Thank you,
The UN Atlas of the Oceans Editors
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- One Vision, One People : Outcomes of the East Asian Seas Congress 2006. Topics include oil spill compensation, integrated coastal management, marine pollution prevention, coastal tourism, conflict resolution, public-private partnerships and sustainable financing. (Document)
- The Full Picture : Comprehensive book about Earth observation data and systems, from the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), which is coordinating international efforts to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). (Book)
- IMO: IMO confirms environmental credentials as MEPC makes major progress : The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) made significant progress on several items when it addressed a packed agenda at its 57th session from 31 March to 4 April, at the Royal Horticultural Halls, London. (News)
- IMO: France and IMO agree on prevention and suppression of piracy and armed robbery : IMO Secretary-General, Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, has commended the recent intervention of French naval forces which succeeded in releasing all the crew of the French yacht, Le Ponant - hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Somalia, on 4 April 2008. He also praised the co-operation between the authorities of France and the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia in resolving the incident without conflict, injury or loss of life, and in apprehending the suspected pirates. (News)
- IMO: IMO environment meeting approves revised regulations on ship emissions : The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has approved proposed amendments to the MARPOL Annex VI regulations to reduce harmful emissions from ships. (News)
- Name an Ocean Species : Scripps Oceanography invites Donors to Name an Ocean Species. Scripps is introducing a novel way for donors to show their support for these valuable and irreplaceable science and teaching resources: by naming a newly discovered marine species. (News)
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ILO Convention on seafarers’ ID card
: Strengthening security on the high seas and in world ports: ILO Convention on seafarers’ ID card gains new momentum
A growing number of countries have already ratified the ILO Seafarers' Identity Documents Convention No.185 adopted in 2003 or will do so in the near future. The international Convention came into force in February 2005 and creates the first globally applicable system of biometric identification for secure identity documents for the estimated 1.2 million seafarers in the world.
Also in French and Spanish. (News) - Kimberley Coast : The Kimberley Coast of north-western Australia is one of the last and largest coastal wilderness areas in the world, with images and maps. (Book)
- Modelling for Field Biologists and other Interesting People : Written in a friendly style for a topic that is widely perceived to be difficult. Provides Matlab programming code. (Book)
- Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Designated a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area : The fragile and unique marine ecosystems of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands encompassed by the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument will receive additional protection under a new internationally recognized designation announced today by NOAA. (News)
- Western Australian Marine Science Institution : Understanding the marine environment and resources of Western Australia (Institutional Contact)
- Crossing Antarctica : Slideshow about Sir Edmund Hillary on the Trans-Antarctic Expedition in 1957-58. Excellent images. (Multimedia)
- Marine Flatworms. The World of Polyclads : Award winning introduction to polyclad flatworms, a group of large, free-living marine Platyhelminthes, which are found throughout the world. Lavishly illustrated. (Book)
- New Species Of Fish Discovered That Would Rather Crawl Than Swim : A fish that would rather crawl into crevices than swim, and that may be able to see in the same way that humans do, could represent an entirely unknown family of fishes, says a University of Washington fish expert. (News)
- Coral reefs and climate change: Microbes could be the key to coral death : Coral reefs could be dying out because of changes to the microbes that live in them just as much as from the direct rise in temperature caused by global warming. (News)
- Algae Could One Day Be Major Hydrogen Fuel Source : Scientists at U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory are answering that call by working to chemically manipulate algae for production of the next generation of renewable fuels (News)