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This month we feature news stories on the tropical storms and hurricanes that have recently battered the Caribbean and coastal Gulf areas. These are particularly devastating to poor countries, such as Haiti, whose resiliency to extreme weather events is low. At last a degree of normality has returned to some areas affected by Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, earlier this year. We include a UN report on how to make low-lying population centres more resistant to the increased frequency of climate extremes. We also include items on marine wildlife, Aboriginal land rights and progress by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in West Africa. Finally, we highlight the upcoming global conference on small-scale fisheries, Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries, to be held in Bangkok, Thailand from 13-18 October 2008.
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The UN Atlas of the Oceans Editors
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- Animated Guide to Hurricanes : Hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones explained in moving diagrams and text. Ideal for students of all ages. Requires Adobe Flash. (News)
- Tracking Hurricane Gustav. NOAA Watch : Homepage for Hurricane Gustav includes 3 Day Forecast Track, National Hurricane Center Podcast (Experimental), Gustav GIS Data. Subscribe to RSS feed. Warnings by State. Images from Cuba. English and Spanish. Image: Buoy reports near Gustav. Credit: NOAA (News)
- Hurricane Gustav strikes Cuba: In pictures : (Based on BBC News Reports 31 August 2008) A quarter of a million people evacuated. No deaths to date in Cuba but loss of life in the Caribbean. World Heritage site in Havana likely damaged as heritage buildings crumble. Loss of agricultural crops. (News)
- IMO: Cook Islands becomes IMO Member : The Cook Islands has become the latest Member of IMO following the deposit, on 18 July 2008, of an instrument of acceptance of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization, as amended, with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. With the accession of the Cook Islands, the number of IMO Member States stands at 168, with a further three Associate Members. (News)
- Tsunami. The World's Most Terrifying Disaster : Editor's Award. Illustrated book chronicles the Asian 2004 tsunami. (Book)
- IMO: West and Central African states to co-operate in sub-regional Coastguard network : Twenty member States of the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA) have adopted a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of a Sub-regional Coastguard Network for the West and Central African sub-region at the 13th General Assembly of Ministers of MOWCA, in Dakar, Republic of Senegal, 30th July, 2008, (News)
- Albatrosses : Life histories of albatross from Antarctica to Australia and from South Africa to South America. Photographs. (Book)
- Great Whales : Seven great whale species. Historical and recent photographs, as well as an extensive glossary and recommended reading. The Chapter on Conservation and Regulation is insightful. (Book)
- Climate change may boost Middle East rainfall : The prospect of climate change sparking food and water shortages in the Middle East is less likely than previously thought, with new research by an Australian climate scientist suggesting that rainfall will be significantly higher in key parts of the region. (News)
- Small Hydroelectric Dams Not So Green : The combined impacts of numerous small hydroelectric dams in one river basin can be at least as harmful as one large dam, warn experts (News)
- Conclusions left dangling at Latino artisanal fishing workshop : In the coming weeks a virtual editorial panel will attempt to achieve what eluded 80-odd delegates from 12 countries during the four-day workshop on "Artisanal Fishing (Consolidating and Securing Artisanal Fishing Access and Use Rights) in Latin America", from 4 to 8 August in Punta de Tralca, Chile. (News)
- Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries: Bringing together responsible fisheries and social development : Small-scale fisheries have the potential to significantly contribute to sustainable development, in particular with respect to poverty reduction, food and livelihood security, balanced nutrition, wealth creation, foreign exchange earnings and coastal-rural development. The Conference will focus on small-scale fisheries to discuss a wide range of issues including, inter alia, wider social and economic development and human rights issues, governance, fisheries policy processes and systems, fisheries management approaches and market access aspects and means of increasing post harvest benefits. Visit the Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries site for more information. (Event)
- A Systematic Appraisal of Hard Corals (Family Acroporidae) from the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, South-East India : An important contribution to the study of biodiversity in the tropical seas. (Document)
- Decline in Whale Shark size and abundance at Ningaloo Reef over the past decade: The world's largest fish is getting smaller : This study suggests unsustainable mortality in parts of their range outside Australian waters, where they are totally protected. (Document)
- The effect of small-scale logging on stand characteristics and soil biogeochemistry in mangrove forests of Timor Leste : A community-based approach to conservation and sustainable management of the remaining mangrove forests of Timor Leste is recommended. (Document)
- Environment and Conservation Organisations of Aotearoa New Zealand : ECO is an umbrella group of environment and conservation organisations in New Zealand. This website has information about ECO and its member groups as well as news of the environment in Aotearoa New Zealand. (Website)
- Prevent Pollution on Coral Reefs : US Coast Guard and the Officer Snook Water Pollution Program join forces to educate youth about the environment. (Document)
- Climate zones shift south as Australia’s northern oceans warm : Since the 1950s, average sea surface temperatures in northeast and northwest tropical Australian waters have increased steadily, causing a 200km shift southwards of climate zones along the northeast coast and an expansion in the area that can be designated "the tropics". (News)
- A How-To Manual for Large Cities to Build Climate Resilience : With eight of the world’s 10 largest cities located near rivers or seas and exposed to such climate hazards as flooding, sea level rise, and hurricanes, a United Nations-World Bank report released today offers advice on how to make these population centers more resistant to the effects of global warming. (News)
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Land Rights Reach into the Sea
: Aboriginal land rights in the Northern Territory have been extended to the sea for the first time in a landmark High Court ruling that gives traditional owners in northeast Arnhem Land control over fishing in tidal waters. Read more at ABC Radio and Radio Australia.
Image:...bark paintings of Sea Country. Credit: www.yirrkala.com (News) - Récifs coralliens de l'outre-mer français suivi et état des lieux / French Overseas Coral Reefs Monitoring and Status : L'état des récifs dans toutes les collectivités françaises d'outre-mer, reparties dans les trois océans / Monitoring of reef conditions in all the overseas French territoriesIn French, English, Spanish. (Book)
- Rising demands threaten wetlands : The recent surge in demand for food and biofuel has increased the risks facing the world's wetlands, warn scientists. (News)
- Progress being made on Myanmar aid effort, says UN’s top relief official : A degree of normality has returned to some areas affected by Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, and there are visible signs of progress in reconstruction, the United Nations’ top relief official said today after returning from a three-day visit, though he cautioned that there was no room for complacency. (News)
- UN News Focus: Myanmar : Latest updates and developments on happenings in Myanmar (Website)
- Live fish caught at record depth : A live deep-sea fish has been caught at a record depth of 2,300m on the hot vents of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. (News)