Stimulating investment in pearl farming in ... - World Fish Center

Water Temperature and Cyclone Frequency in the Pacific: Implications for Pearl Farming Final, June 2008The Ecology Lab Pty Ltd – Marine and Freshwater StudiesTABLE OF CONTENTSSummary ................................................................................................................................................i1.0 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................12.0 Sea Temperatures..........................................................................................................................22.1 Introduction ...............................................................................................................................22.2 Measurement of Sea Surface Temperature............................................................................22.3 In-Situ SST Measurements from Key Regions of the South Pacific and Australia ..........42.3.1 Black Pearl Farms................................................................................................................42.3.1.1 Cook Islands ................................................................................................................42.3.1.2 French Polynesia .........................................................................................................42.3.2 Silver Pearl Farms ..............................................................................................................52.3.3 Other Locations ..................................................................................................................52.3.3.1 Northern Australia......................................................................................................52.3.3.2 Cook Islands ................................................................................................................62.3.3.3 Fiji ..................................................................................................................................62.3.3.4 French Polynesia .........................................................................................................72.3.3.5 Papua New Guinea.....................................................................................................72.3.3.6 Solomon Islands ..........................................................................................................82.3.3.7 Vanuatu ........................................................................................................................82.4 SST Measurements Derived from Satellites ...........................................................................82.4.1 Modern Average Global SST Dataset..............................................................................82.4.2 Surface Temperature Search Tool....................................................................................92.4.3 SST web atlas for the Great Barrier Reef.......................................................................102.4.4 NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch Program.............................................................................103.0 Tropical Cyclones........................................................................................................................113.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................113.2 Exposure of Key Pacific Regions to Tropical Cyclone Activity........................................123.3 The Influence of Climate Change on Tropical Cyclones ...................................................143.4 Impact of Tropical Cyclones..................................................................................................143.4.1 General Impacts................................................................................................................143.4.2 Impact on the Physical Environment of Key Pacific Island Groups.........................153.4.3 Impacts on Pearl Fishing and Farming .........................................................................154.0 Conclusions..................................................................................................................................164.1 Sea Temperature......................................................................................................................164.2 Risk of Damage to Pearl Farms from Tropical Cyclones...................................................17