Marine Atlas: Maximizing Benefits for Solomon Islands

CONTENTS

VALUING

PLANNING

MANAGING

10

40

64

STILL WATERS RUN DEEP : OCEAN DEPTH SUPPORTING VALUES VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA : GEOMORPHOLOGY

USES

4 6

66

74 76 79 79

FOREWORD SEA OF ISLANDS : THE SOUTH PACIFIC A LARGE OCEAN STATE : ADMINISTRATION

SPACE TO RECOVER : MARINE MANAGEMENT

CONCLUSION REFERENCES APPENDIX 1. DATA PROVIDERS APPENDIX 2. PHOTO PROVIDERS

12

42

FISHING IN THE DARK : OFFSHORE FISHERIES

68

ONE WORLD, ONE OCEAN : INTERNATIONALMARITIMEORGANIZATION (IMO) MARPOL CONVENTION SOLOMON ISLANDS’ COMMITMENT TO MARINE CONSERVATION A MARINE LAYER CAKE CONFLICTING VERSUS COMPATIBLE USES

8

14

44 46

FISH FROM THE FARM : AQUACULTURE BEYOND THE BEACH : MARINE TOURISM UNDER WATER WILD WEST : DEEP SEA MINING AND UNDER WATER CABLING

70

16

UNDER WATER MOUNTAINS : SEAMOUNT MORPHOLOGY

48

72 73

18

SMOKE UNDER WATER, FIRE IN THE SEA : TECTONIC ACTIVITY GO WITH THE FLOW : SALINITY AND SURFACE CURRENTS STIR IT UP : MIXED LAYER DEPTH PUMP IT : PARTICULATE ORGANIC CARBON FLUX SOAK UP THE SUN : PHOTOSYNTHE- TICALLY AVAILABLE RADIATION

50

FULL SPEED AHEAD : VESSEL TRAFFIC

20

THREATS

22 23

52

PLASTIC OCEAN : MICROPLASTICS CONCENTRATION THE DOSE MAKES THE POISON : PHOSPHATE AND NITRATE CONCENTRATION HOTTER AND HIGHER : MEAN SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE AND PROJECTED SEA LEVEL RISE TURNING SOUR : OCEAN ACIDITY REEFS AT RISK : REEF RISK LEVEL STORMY TIMES : CYCLONES CLIMATE CHANGE THREATS

54

24

HABITAT VALUES

26

56

HOME, SWEET HOME : COASTAL HABITATS

28

SHAPING PACIFIC ISLANDS : CORAL REEFS

58 60 62

30

TRAVELLERS OR HOMEBODIES : MARINE SPECIES RICHNESS

32

HOW MUCH DO WE REALLY KNOW? COLD WATER CORAL HABITATS

34

NATURE’S HOTSPOTS : KEY BIODIVERSITY AREAS

36 38

SPECIAL AND UNIQUE MARINE AREAS BEYOND THE HOTSPOTS : BIOREGIONS

MAXIMIZING BENEFITS FOR SOLOMON ISLANDS • MARINE ATLAS

5