A new study from Tulane University researchers has found that after decades of loss from deforestation and coastal development, mangroves ar
Mangrove forests used to be considered one of the world's most threatened ecosystems. However, recent analysis of satellite data shows that mangrove forests are no longer in decline and in fact the global coverage of mangrove forests has been increasing over the last 16 years due to restoration and natural habitat expansion.
The health of mangrove ecosystems is particularly relevant in the era of climate change, since they place a crucial role in protecting coastlines from storms and erosion in addition to storing carbon.
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Certain parts of the Marshall Islands have been widely affected by invasive rats on their delicately balanced ecosystems. Bikar Atoll, one o
October 3, 2025
Two small islets crucial to the resiliency of the local environment in the Marshall Islands Republic are witnessing a major ecological revival.
Island Conservation, a global nonprofit organization with a mission to restore islands for nature and people, has successfully eradicated invasive black rats, allowing the native forests and seabird population on Bikar Atoll and Jemo Islet to recover.
The rats have had a devastating effect on their delicately balanced ecosystems on certain islands in the Marshalls. Bikar Atoll, one of the smallest atolls in the country, is located 360 miles (580 kilometers) north of the capital, Majuro. The reef surrounds a lagoon roughly 14 square miles.
The Jemo Islet is a 16-hectare inhabited coral island that’s known to be one of the major feeding grounds for green sea turtles and a seabird sanctuary. With the arrival of invasive species such as black rats on both these landmasses, the native environment has been heavily disrupted as native plants, seabirds, and other animals fall prey to the rats’ scavenging.
In addition to turtles, Jemo had been used for generations as a place to gather and hunt, but had become something like an ecological graveyard since the rats arrived. Having already eradicated black rats on dozens of islands before, Island Conservation trained local teams with the best practices to remove the rats via poison without harming the native wildlife.
After one year, a trip back to these islands, accompanied by Island Conservation, the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority, Ministry of Natural Resources and Commerce, and community members from Utrik Atoll, found that the efforts to eradicate the rats had succeeded and that wildlife was bouncing back. The recovery of the native seabird population has positively impacted the link between land and sea. The nutrients from the seabirds’ droppings play a critical role as natural fertilizer for the plant population which anchors the local food web.
Part of a trend
The rat invasion has depleted the useful resources of Jemo for the Likiep people for many years, but with the help of major participating organizations, it not only benefits the natural ecosystems of the Marshall Islands but also the communities that depend on these resources.
“Our Marshallese friends continue to add restored, pest-free islands to their list of achievements,” said David Moverley, Invasive Species Adviser for the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP), who partnered with Island Conservation on the project.
“Participating in the first rat removal workshop in Tonga ten years ago allowed them early on to achieve successful eradications on small islands by themselves. Now with modern technology and expert technical support from our partner Island Conservation, they are really pushing the boundaries and people are starting to realize the treasures that abound within the Marshall Islands and the opportunities that they present”.
Previously, WaL had the opportunity to report on Island Conservation projects, one being Loosiep, located in Yap State within the Federated States of Micronesia.
The project focused on the removal of invasive rats—the almost ubiquitous problem on Pacific islands—that threatened the biodiversity of its area. In partnership with the Island Conservation, local groups removed the rats allowed the “turtle islands” to thrive once again.
WaL also reported on the 2022 Island Conservation removal of invasive rats across the Pacific Islands using technological advancements of drones and poisoned bait.
These ambitious efforts by Island Conservation have already benefited 65 Islands worldwide, and their continuous work in restoring ecosystems creates lasting benefits for both nature and communities across the globe. WaL
Despite their abundant services, mangroves are among the most threatened ecosystems in the world. Household interviews conducted in Nabago, Surigao City determined the direct use values (DUV) and indirect use values (IUV) of mangrove products and services using market price for DUV and Replacement Cost Method for IUV. Residents may also directly contribute to the alteration of ecosystems; hence, this study included the extent of local knowledge, attitudes, and training needs concerning Nabago’s mangrove resources. Mangrove aquatic biota provides an annual direct benefit of Php103,262.00/ha/year, while commercial aquaculture, PhP509,433.96/ha/year. Overall, the potential DUV of the entire mangrove ecosystem of Nabago is Php4,149,303.88/year. IUV for coastal protection, wind barrier, protection from extreme sunlight, protection from saltwater intrusion, and carbon sequestration has a total benefit value of PhP68,568,598.22/year. The total annual DUV and IUV of the mangrove ecosystem in Nabago is around Php 72.72 million, of which the IUV is 94% of the total benefit value. High awareness of the ecological functions of the mangrove ecosystem and a positive attitude toward mangrove protection implies that the locals see the intrinsic value (i.e., valuing the forest for its existence) and attach a bequest value to the mangroves to preserve these for future generations. Mangrove monitoring, conservation, management, restoration, and rehabilitation were the top training needs compared to aquaculture training. Dissemination of valuation results and economic empowerment is necessary to inform stakeholders of the value of their mangrove ecosystem and discourage possible conversion of the forests in favor of development in the area.
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Continued agricultural extensification under current practices cannot sustainably shoulder the burden of scaling society’s food, fiber, and fuel production systems without compromising the planet’s supply of ecosystem services.
Cropland expansion in the United States produces marginal yields at high costs to wildlife
lf you’ve seen one fireweed, you’ve probably seen several. As an early successional species, growing in large numbers across a vast amount of space is kind of its thing. Any disturbance that leaves bare ground in its wake, such as a wildfire or a windstorm, gives fireweed the opportunity to colonize. It grows quickly and spreads via rhizomes, producing thousands of airborne seeds in the process,…
In the path of Super Typhoon Karding was an ancient rival to typhoons in the past and present: the Sierra Madre mountain range.
But what about the future? We must continue to support communities living in and near the Sierra Madre, especially in ancestral domains.
The ecosystem services provided by the “backbone of Luzon” must be sustained to ensure there is protection, water, food, and more… today and for generations to come.
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/hashtag/content/846002/sierra-madre-trends-as-luzon-braces-for-super-typhoon-karding/story/
