A preliminary checklist of the benthic marine macroalgae of Rotuma

To the author' s knowledge, no phycological investigation of Rotuma took place prior to the present research, although the nearby Fijian algal flora has been fairly well studied (vide South and Kasahara, 1992). Hence this present checklist represents the first record of the Rotuman algal flora, which is dealt with in more detail by N'Yeurt (1993), South and N'Yeurt (1992) and South et al. (1993)

Working 6m from Rotuma the ‘Island Brew’ Way

Amateur Radio Operator Antoine De Ramon N’Yeurt (3D2AG) from Fiji relates a tale of make do to allow him to operate on the VHF 6m band while on the remote Pacific island of Rotuma, using locally-available materials. A fully-functional 5-element yagi antenna was constructed on the island using wood, domestic metal parts and accessory cables and connectors. This allowed some 1,000 radio contacts to be made on the 50 MHz Amateur band using Sporadic-E (Es), Trans-Equatorial Propagation (TEP) and F2 layer ionospheric propagation to countries as varied as Australia, New Zealand, South America, Japan and North America

An investigation into the biology and spawning maturity of Anadara Spp. (Bivalvia : Arcidae) in Fiji

The anatomy and histology of the Fijian Anadare mollusc are described. Its structure is similar to other lamellibranchs of the family Arcidae. The gender determination of live specimens was deemed impossible, due to the inaccessibility of the gonads. Peculiar white patches were found on the mantle of all specimens, suggesting a reaction to disease or pollution which warrants further investigation

Grammephora peyssonnelioides gen. et sp. nov. (Rhodophyta, Rhodymeniaceae) from the Solomon Islands, South Pacific

A new genus and species of red alga in the Rhodymeniaceae, Grammephora peyssonnelioides, is described from both shallow and deepwater habitats in the Solomon Islands, South Pacific. The new genus and species is characterized by prostrate overlapping lobes with a strongly cartilaginous flexible texture, distinct surface linear markings perpendicular to the growing margins, and a compact three to four celled medulla of relatively small refractive cells. Tetrasporangia are elongate and decussately divided, and occur in large scattered dorsal surface sori. Cystocarps are prominent and conical, on the dorsal surface of the blade, with a network of nutritive filaments and basal nutritive tissue around the suspended, centrally located carposporophyte, with all gonimoblast initials becoming carposporangia. The columnar fusion cell is uniquely crowned by a ring of discoid cells of nonalgal origin

Rhipilia penicilloides sp. nov. (Udoteaceae, Chlorophyta) from Fij

Rhipilia penicilloides sp. nov. (Udoteaceae, Chlorophyta) is described from the Fiji Islands, South Pacific. Adult thalli are characterized by a penicilloid capitulum of free, dichotomously branched siphons and an elongated corticated stipe arising from a multisiphonous rhizome-like mat or stolon, whereas juvenile stages possess an infundibular capitulum held together by abundant lateral tenaculiferous branchlets. The generic placement of the new species is debatable owing to its close affinities to both the genera Chlorodesmis and Rhipilia, but present evidence favors the latter

Sustainable agro - fertilizers from marine plants in Pacific small island developing states (SIDS)

The effects of Climate Change are forcing farmers in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to find novel methods to maintain crop productivity and sustainability. Past practices using chemical fertilizers and poor waste management severely damaged many coastal areas, leading to an ecosystem shift towards algal dominance. A proposed approach to deal with both the loss of crop productivity and the overabundance of seaweeds in SIDS, is to devise methods that divert excess marine plant biomass into agricultural uses through the conversion of the biomass to solid and liquid fertilizers. Seaweed-based fertilizers have already been tried with much success on crops in developed nations such as the United States and in European countries, but these are very expensive to import into Pacific Islands, and beyond the means of most farmers in the region. By empowering local farming communities with the knowledge to convert locally-available marine plant biomass into sustainable, ecologically friendly agricultural fertilizers, they would be able to make economies on the purchase commercial fertilizers which are detrimental to the environment, while at the same time reducing the spread of seaweeds on their coral reefs, and boosting the production of subsistence and cash crops which will improve their food and financial security

Marine algal flora of French Polynesia III. Rhodophyta, with additions to the Phaeophyceae and Chlorophyta

This third paper in a monographic series on the marine macroalgae of French Polynesia gives a detailed coverage of the species of Rhodophyta occurring in these islands. A total of 197 taxa are presented (195 Rhodophyceae, 1 Phaeophyceae and 1 Chlorophyta; of these, 84 (or 43%) represent new records for the flora, while 7 (or 3.6%) are new species. The new combination Jania subulata (J. Ellis et Solander) N’Yeurt et Payri is made for Haliptilon subulatum (J. Ellis et Solander) W. H. Johansen. Padina stipitata Tanaka et Nozawa (Phaeophyceae) and Codium saccatum Okamura (Chlorophyceae) are notable additions to the flora from deepwater habitats in the southern Australs; 56 taxa (or 28.7%) occur only in the Austral archipelago. The flora has most affinities with that of the Hawaiian Islands (Sørensen Index = 0.30), followed by the Cook Islands and Samoa (SI = 0.26 each) and the Solomon Islands (SI = 0.25). There are some disjunct distribution patterns for several subtropical to temperate species, possibly suggesting special oceanic current routes between the southern Australs, Hawaii and the Southern Australian region

Assessment of a seaweed bloom issue on Funafuti atoll and associated solutions; conducting awareness sessions for the local communities

Since 2011 the small South Pacific atoll nation of Tuvalu has been affected by algal blooms, the most recent being a large growth of the brown alga Sargassum on the main atoll of Funafuti. The gravity of the situation led to an invitation to the authors from the Tuvalu Government to conduct an initial survey of the problem in November 2013. The bloom was seen to be localized on the lagoon side of the main populated island of Fongafale, distributed in a variably dense belt up to 100 meters from the shoreline. A total of 19 species of macroalgae were found in the survey area, the dominant one being the Phaeophyceae Sargassum polycystum C. Agardh with individual plants reaching up to 2 meters in length with a cover ranging between 16 and 23% of the substratum. For seven transects laid from the southern tip of the island to the end of the populated area, wet biomass ranged between 0.45 and 3.56 kg m-2, with an average of 1.68 kg m-2. There was a correlation noticed between the density of human population on the shore and algal biomass, with the highest figures opposite a school and hotel. Water quality tests also showed nutrient levels almost twice as high in front of populated areas than in unpopulated areas of the island. The algal belt was seen to be concentrated in water less than 1 m deep, becoming sparser as depth increased. The high amount of Sargassum biomass available makes it a good candidate for use as a fertilizer additive for agricultural practices in Tuvalu. Benefits from seaweed-based fertilizers are numerous and individual farmers have already reported success with the blooms species on the atoll. Additionally, the Sargassum biomass could be converted into biogas using the process of anaerobic digestion in simple household digesters, to meet the need for renewable energy in lighting and cooking

New records of marine algae from Tonga, Central Polynesia

A total of 34 marine algae are reported for the first time based on historical herbarium collections from the marine shores of Tonga in the central South Pacific Ocean: eight Rhodophyta and 26 Chlorophyta. One species of Rhodophyta, i.e. Trichogloea requienii, and four species of Chlorophyta, i.e. Caulerpa plumulifera, Codium extricatum, Udotea glaucescens and Valoniopsis pachynema, represent the first records from central Polynesia. The red alga Titanophora pikeana has only been previously reported in this region from the adjacent western Melanesian islands of Fiji and the isolated Hawaiian Islands to the north. The other 28 algal species are widely distributed marine species around tropical and subtropical islands in the Pacific Ocean

The proliferating brown alga Sargassum polycystum in Tuvalu, South Pacific: assessment of the bloom and applications to local agriculture and sustainable energy

Since 2011, the small South Pacific atoll nation of Tuvalu has been affected by algal blooms, the most recent being a large growth of the brown alga Sargassum on the main atoll of Funafuti. The gravity of the situation led to an invitation to the authors from the Tuvalu Government to conduct an initial survey of the problem in November 2013. The bloom was seen to be localized on the lagoon side of the main populated island of Fongafale, distributed in a variably dense belt up to 100 m from the shoreline. A total of 19 species of macroalgae were found in the survey area, the dominant one being the phaeophyceaen alga, Sargassum polycystum C. Agardh, with individual plants reaching up to 2 m in length with a cover ranging between 16 and 23 % of the substratum. For seven transects laid from the southern tip of the island to the end of the populated area, wet biomass ranged between 0.45 and 3.56 kg m−2, with an average of 1.68 kg m−2. There was a correlation noticed between the density of human population on the shore and algal biomass, with the highest biomass figures opposite a school and a hotel. Water quality tests also showed nutrient levels almost twice as high in front of populated areas than in unpopulated areas of the island. The algal belt was seen to be concentrated in water less than 1 m deep, becoming sparser as depth increased. The high amount of Sargassum biomass available makes it a good candidate for use as a fertiliser additive for agricultural practices in Tuvalu. Benefits from seaweed-based fertilisers are numerous, and individual farmers have already reported success with the blooms species on the atoll. Additionally, the Sargassum biomass could be converted into biogas using the process of anaerobic digestion in simple household digesters, to meet the need for renewable energy in lighting and cooking