Conservancy Talk

MARCH 31, 2014

A conservation easement will protect the Yela forest of Micronesia, the first such agreement in the Pacific region. The small, quiet island of Kosrae State in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is on the verge of making big waves for its Pacific neighbors. . Once a US Trust Territory, Kosrae is one of three states that comprise the independent nation known as the Federated States of Micronesia.

Micronesia 75

Micronesia Forest Conserve Conservation 75

Nature Conservancy - Science

JUNE 25, 2015

To better understand how effective communications can influence conservation action, Montambault and her colleagues examined four case studies from Micronesia where conservation practitioners are using monitoring data to advance local marine conservation. Micronesia is made up of 2,100 islands spread across 7.4 In Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, local stakeholders began monitoring the marine environment after the spawning aggregations of local grouper populations declined.

Communication 65

Communication Conserve Conservation 2015 65

Nature Conservancy - Science

JULY 7, 2014

In one example — Micronesia — using science to loosen the grip of three thorny riddles has helped transform the challenge of scaling up conservation into a source of pride and connection across the region. Micronesia (from the Greek words for “small” and “land”) is composed of 2,100 islands spread across an anything-but-tiny 7.4 The way the Micronesia Challenge has gone about solving them offers some insights for other conservation challenges.

Conserve 66

Conserve Conservation 2014 Micronesia 66

Conservancy Talk

OCTOBER 23, 2013

Learn more about The Micronesia Challenge , an ambitious commitment by Micronesian governments to strike a critical balance between the need to use their natural resources today and the need to sustain those resources for future generations. Ian Shive is an award-winning conservation photographer. Before I left for Palau , friends and colleagues prepped me by regaling their stories of this magical world.

Palau 66

Palau Micronesia 2013 Future Generations 66

Celsias

APRIL 18, 2011

Chuuk is an island group in Micronesia, in the south western part of the Pacific Ocean. It makes up one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia. Its history is one of colonialism, having been part of the colonisation process of Spain, then Germany and then the Japanese Empires.

Micronesia 59

Micronesia Guinea Spain Japan 59

Eco Friendly Daily

FEBRUARY 12, 2014

The Micronesia group of islands lies in the Western Pacific ocean. Andrew Yatilman, director of Micronesia’s Office of Environment and Emergency Management says in the appeal , “The Federated States of Micronesia is seriously endangered by the impacts of climate change, including the flooding of its entire territory and the eventual disappearance of a portion of its state. Micronesia and the Czech Republic are nearly on the opposite sides of the globe.

Micronesia 43

Micronesia Czech Republic Nauru Marshall Islands 43

Celsias

APRIL 18, 2011

Chuuk is an island group in Micronesia, in the south western part of the Pacific Ocean. It makes up one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia. Its history is one of colonialism, having been part of the colonisation process of Spain, then Germany and then the Japanese Empires.

Micronesia 48

Micronesia Guinea Spain Japan 48

Green (Living) Review

NOVEMBER 29, 2010

Cancun, Mexico, November 28, 2010 – Led by the tiny Pacific island of the Federated States of Micronesia, a growing group of low-lying islands and other vulnerable countries are calling for fast action on the approximately 50 percent of global warming that is caused by pollutants other than carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). Micronesia submitted a proposal last year to address these very climate warmers – black carbon, methane, and tropospheric ozone – under the UN climate treaty.

2010 109

2010 Micronesia Ozone Montreal 109

Conservancy Talk

JUNE 28, 2017

I recently travelled to the island of Pohnpei, one of the states in the Federated States of Micronesia, to engage with local partners on tuna project. I was going on a fishing excursion with Ricky Carl, external affairs director for the Conservancy’s Micronesia program and a traditional leader in his community as well and with Noah Idechong, a renowned conservationist from Palau and also a Conservancy staffer leading the Pacific tuna project.

Tuna 66

Tuna Palau Micronesia 2017 66

Conservancy Talk

JANUARY 26, 2015

In 2015, the Conservancy is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Micronesia Program — join us for stories from the front lines and a look back at how it all began. The coral reefs of Palau are part of a massive interconnected system that ties together Micronesia and the Western Pacific. © It is amazing to see how the Micronesia program has grown into more than 150 conservation sites with very few ex-pats running the day-to-day business.

Palau 64

Palau Micronesia Guam Conserve 64

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

One new Pacific island form is the Mariana Kingfisher ( Todiramphus albicilla ) from the Mariana Islands in Micronesia. Saipan, Micronesia. All the way back in 2011 I wrote about the confusing taxanomic enigma that is the Collared Kingfisher , a species that ranges from the Red Sea to Tonga in a bewildering variety of forms. I’m happy to report that an analysis of the species and some relatives has found that, as suspected, it isn’t a single species.

2015 179

2015 Tonga Vanuatu Micronesia 179

Conservancy Talk

JUNE 17, 2015

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) recently declared their waters a shark sanctuary and off-limits to shark finning and fishing. A group of four fishermen from the village of Malem gillnet fishing on the reef edge in the breaking waves in front of their village, Kosrae Island, Micronesia. Most of the sharks harvested in Micronesia were caught on commercial tuna fishing boats.

Micronesia 64

Micronesia Help Guam Marshall Islands 64

Green (Living) Review

JUNE 29, 2010

C tipping point Geneva, Switzerland, June 2010 – For the fourth year in a row, the small island state of Micronesia (FSM) has taken the lead to combat climate change by fighting to phase down the production and use of HFCs under the Montreal Protocol ozone treaty. The Montreal Protocol Parties discussed the Micronesia proposal and a similar proposal submitted by the US , Canada , and Mexico.

2010 127

2010 Opportunities Opportunity Montreal 127

Green (Living) Review

FEBRUARY 28, 2011

Last year, the Federated States of Micronesia along with other vulnerable island countries proposed an amendment to the ozone treaty to phase down the production and use of HFCs. Washington, DC, February 2011 – On Friday, significant progress was made toward addressing emissions of ‘super’ greenhouse gases when India and the US agreed to establish an Indo-US Technical Task Force on hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs.

India 109

India 2011 Montreal Ozone Layer 109

Green (Living) Review

NOVEMBER 12, 2010

Earlier this year the Federated States of Micronesia along with other vulnerable island countries proposed a formal amendment to the ozone treaty to phase down the production and use of HFCs. Island nations including Micronesia will face the brunt of climate change impacts and have begun aggressively pursuing near-term climate mitigation strategies like reducing HFCs.

Ozone 109

Ozone 2010 Montreal Micronesia 109

Wend Magazine

OCTOBER 28, 2011

For example, I am currently working on a project with The Nature Conservancy and The Palau International Coral Reef Center on the effects of coral bleaching in Micronesia. Ian Shive is not your typical outdoor photographer. There is a stronger motive behind his work—conservation. Through his camera lens he explores the world’s most endangered ecosystems. He collaborates with biologists, scientists and land managers to document the environmental issues facing our favorite landscapes.

2011 145

2011 Conserve Conservation Palau 145

Green (Living) Review

DECEMBER 8, 2010

The new UNEP data underlines the urgent need for climate action that will produce quick results – a topic addressed by a separate event today in Cancun, hosted by UNEP and the Federated States of Micronesia , a country calling for a fast-action work program to protect its low-lying islands and other vulnerable countries from climate change impacts.

2010 122

2010 UNEP Micronesia CO2 Emissions 122

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 28, 2014

Dark blackish swamphens occur from eastern Indonesia across Australia, Melanesia, southern Micronesia, and Polynesia as far east as American Samoa, having reached some of these islands only in the last few hundred years and, in the case of New Zealand at least, recolonizing islands previously settled by their cousins.

2014 191

2014 Papua New Guinea Florida Philippines 191

Nature Conservancy - Science

DECEMBER 7, 2015

But these tuna fisheries also generate a lot of roadkill and provide little revenue to the local countries where fish are caught, including the Solomon Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau. Isaac Paulino, a fisherman and Community Conservation Officer (CCO) from Enipein Village in the Federated States of Micronesia, fishes for skipjack and yellowfin tuna. Imagine our oceans as a highway — a deep, long highway that wraps all the way around the world.

Palau 62

Palau Tuna 2015 Ocean 62

Nature Conservancy - Science

FEBRUARY 27, 2015

Bleached coral in the Western Pacific coastal waters surrounding Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. © A coral reef off Restoff Island in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea. This area is one of the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) which The Nature Conservancy helped design to protect the biodiversity of the bay. CREDIT: Mark Godfrey. This article originally appeared in TreeHugger on February 19, 2015. By Stephanie Wear , Lead Scientist for coral reef conservation at The Nature Conservancy.

2015 74

2015 Papua New Guinea Greenhouse gas Micronesia 74

EcoFriend

MAY 16, 2012

The Micronesia-born artist and Virginia Commonwealth University professor used repurposed rainwater and a solar system to accomplish this feat after having spent a good 10 years of his life researching the possibility. Sonia Renthlei: As kids, rainbows signified something magical, an etherealness that had to do with fairies and leprechauns waiting at the end of the rainbow with a pot of gold.

Omaha 65

Omaha Nebraska Micronesia 2012 65

Conservancy Talk

MAY 5, 2014

Participants in an Ocean Summit in The Netherlands in April emphasized these features through initiatives like the Micronesia Challenge, the Caribbean Challenge, and the Coral Triangle Initiative. Photo: Mark Godfrey/TNC. Lynn Scarlett is Managing Director for Public Policy at The Nature Conservancy. In announcing his June 2014 ocean summit, Secretary of State John Kerry pointed to unsustainable fishing, pollution, and climate change.

Partnership 64

Partnership Ocean Micronesia Conserve 64

Green (Living) Review

MARCH 21, 2011

While many countries support action on HFCs under Montreal , to build additional momentum Zaelke suggested that Europe might consider submitting its own HFC phase-down proposal this year (following in the footsteps of Micronesia and the North American countries last year) and consider contributing additional financing to assist developing countries transition to ozone- and climate-friendly alternatives.

Opportunities 115

Opportunities Opportunity Ozone 2011 115

Conservancy Talk

FEBRUARY 18, 2015

In 2006, for example, five governments in Micronesia committed to conserving at least 30 percent of their nearshore waters by 2020. Deserted islands have long captured our imaginations, from Robinson Crusoe to Gilligan’s Island. Tonight’s episode of the PBS series EARTH A New Wild opens at one such real-world paradise, Palmyra Atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. My organization, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), bought Palmyra to stop plans for turning it into a casino.

Ocean 73

Ocean Cuba 2015 Micronesia 73

Nature Conservancy - Science

MAY 11, 2016

Hamilton’s results show the need to have better understanding of the life history patterns for a species prior to designing data collection,” says Steven Victor , the Conservancy’s Micronesia program director. There’s a basic logic to managing fisheries: as a fish population decreases you’ll catch fewer fish. But what if that’s not always true?

Fisheries 60

Fisheries 2016 Solomon Islands Papua New Guinea 60

Nature Conservancy - Science

AUGUST 8, 2013

Along the coastal waters, land and sea intertwine in the tangle of twisted mangrove forest that encircles the islands of Micronesia. Photo by Ami Vitale. If you’re the gambling type who likes to beat the odds, here’s a tip: In the race against climate change, place your money on mangroves. According to a new report from The Nature Conservancy, Wetlands International and the Cambridge Coastal Research Unit , mangroves could be able to keep pace with sea level rise in some places.

Micronesia 66

Micronesia 2013 Belize Florida 66

Nature Conservancy - Science

APRIL 9, 2014

Satellite tracking has shown that they range over huge distances, with one individual tagged in the Gulf of California moving to the Federated States of Micronesia in the western Pacific Ocean, covering approximately 13,000 kilometers of ocean over a period of three years. A whale shark, the largest fish on earth. Photo: Elite Diving Agency. By Alison Green, senior marine scientist. Recently I had one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life – swimming with whale sharks.

Marine Biology 74

Marine Biology 2014 Micronesia Ocean 74

Nature Conservancy - Science

JUNE 7, 2016

Along the coastal waters, land and sea intertwine in the tangle of twisted mangrove forest that encircles the islands of Micronesia. What is the ocean worth? According to several credible, peer-reviewed estimates by leading experts in ecology and economics, the oceans are worth anywhere between $24 and $60 trillion annually. Those are huge numbers, on par with some of the world’s top national economies.

Preservation 40

Preservation Ocean Solomon Islands 2016 40

Green (Living) Review

FEBRUARY 16, 2010

In 2008 and 2009, island nations Micronesia and Mauritius submitted proposals calling for financing under the Montreal Protocol to initiate ODS bank destruction pilot projects in developing countries. Washington, DC, February 2010 – Billions of tons of ozone-destroying and climate-warming chemicals currently contained in unwanted stockpiles and discarded equipment will leak into the atmosphere if not recovered and destroyed.

Ozone depletion 100

Ozone depletion 2010 Ozone Ozone Layer 100

Green (Living) Review

DECEMBER 11, 2010

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is promoting additional fast-action mitigation strategies to save vulnerable nations from the coming catastrophic impacts most climate scientists say are almost certain in a time frame of decades.

2010 133

2010 Montreal Ozone Layer UNEP 133

Nature Conservancy - Science

MARCH 26, 2014

Kirino Olpet, a local speargun fisherman and a Conservation Society of Pohnpei boat driver, fishing in the lagoon waters of Ant Atoll, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. Image credit: Nick Hall.

Fisheries 57

Fisheries Overfished 2014 Micronesia 57

Conservancy Talk

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

A fisherman from Enipein Village on Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia fishes for skipjack and yellowfin tuna several miles off the Enipein reef crest. If you are a fan of bold and disruptive business models and technology breakthroughs, these are exciting times. Take the billion-dollar private company startup, for example. A few years ago, they were rare creatures. Today, these so-called “unicorn” companies are everywhere.

2017 43

2017 Micronesia Tuna Overfished 43

Mother Jones

JANUARY 26, 2013

This includes reefs in the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Navassa Island, Florida, Flower Garden Banks, the Hawaiian Islands, American Samoa, the Pacific Remote Islands, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and Palau. Skip to Navigation. Skip to Content. Mother Jones. Politics. Environment. Culture. Photo Essays. Blogs Political MoJo. Kevin Drum. Blue Marble. Tom Philpott. Mixed Media. Subscribe. Support.

Puerto Rico 70

Puerto Rico Guam Samoa Marshall Islands 70

Nature Conservancy - Science

MARCH 28, 2013

Kirino Olpet, a local speargun fisherman and a Conservation Society of Pohnpei boat driver, fishing in the lagoon waters of Ant Atoll, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. Kirino searches for reef fish like parrot fish and trivali to feed his family, friends and colleagues. Photo by Nick Hall. by Mark Spalding, senior scientist, The Nature Conservancy’s Global Marine Team.

Conserve 61

Conserve Conservation Micronesia 2013 61

Green (Living) Review

DECEMBER 17, 2010

Members: Australia , China, Canada, Cook Islands, European Union, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, France, Japan, Kiribati, Korea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Chinese Taipei, Tonga, Tuvalu, United States of America, Vanuatu. HONOLULU, HI, December 16, 2010: On Friday, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) concluded its week-long 7th Regular Session, in Ko Olina, Hawaii.

2010 109

2010 Overfished Tuna Fisheries 109

Green (Living) Review

AUGUST 4, 2010

The North American proposal to phase down HFCs as well as a similar proposal by the Federated States of Micronesia could potentially avoid several hundred billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent in emissions by 2050. by Michael Smith (Veshengro) Washington, DC – After almost 23 years in existence, the Montreal Protocol treaty is increasingly recognized for its success in saving the ozone layer – and in providing critical protection for the climate system.

Ozone 109

Ozone 2010 Montreal Ozone depletion 109

Green (Living) Review

JULY 19, 2009

Low-lying island states led by the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and Mauritius have proposed phasing down HFC production and consumption under the Montreal Protocol ozone treaty. Washington, D.C., July 2009 – As the Group of Eight began discussions on targets for reducing climate emissions, talk was circulating of a possible commitment to limit warming to 2?C. If the G8 comes to this conclusion, it will be a significant step forward for climate mitigation.

2009 100

2009 Mauritius Montreal CO2 Emissions 100

Green (Living) Review

JUNE 18, 2009

I think we sometimes forget that carbon dioxide is only half of what is causing climate change,” said Cynthia Ehmes, head of delegation for the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM).

2009 100

2009 Climate Change Montreal CO2 Emissions 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 23, 2011

Subspecies albicilla , Saipan, Micronesia. The world of birding is filled with challenging groups well known to all, birds like gulls , Empidonax flycatchers or cisticolas that require attention to the tiniest details in order to assign an individual to a specific species (if it can be done at all).

2011 168

2011 Vanuatu Samoa Tonga 168

Green Blog

JANUARY 25, 2012

Fossil fuel burning yielding the greenhouse gas (GHG) carbon dioxide (CO2) is a major component of man-made global warming. In relation to carbon pollution from the burning of fossil fuels, Net Carbon Debt is equal to the Historical Carbon Debt (from fossil fuel burning since the start of the Industrial Revolution in circa 1750) minus the Carbon Credit (the residual carbon pollution from fossil fuel burning permitted between now and zero emissions in 2050).

Fossil Fuel 47

Fossil Fuel Burkina Faso Guinea-Bissau Saint Kitt 47