Phuket, Thailand — During a series of national workshops held in the Gulf of Thailand, the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) mapping initiative was met with positive response and appreciation from relevant government and nongovernment agencies, including private oil companies.

 

 

Plymouth, United Kingdom — Following on from the success of AMEMR 2011, the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) is pleased to announce that the Fourth Advances in Marine Ecosystem Modelling Research Symposium is scheduled to be held in Plymouth, United Kingdom on 30 June–3 July 2014.

 

 

 

Batangas, Philippines — PEMSEA is currently working with the Provincial Government of Batangas through the Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office (PGENRO) and three academic partners — De La Salle Lipa, Batangas State University and Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas — in laying the foundation for the Batangas Bay Watershed Rehabilitation Project.

 

 

Tagaytay City, Philippines – The ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHPs), Southeast Asia's best protected areas, will now have a trademark of its own.

 

After receiving more than 300 entries from ASEAN Member States, the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) officially unveiled the winning logo entry during the Fourth AHP Conference on 1 October 2013 in Tagaytay City, Philippines.

 

 

Sihanoukville, Cambodia — As the sole deep water port in Cambodia, the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port is a rising hub for trade and transportation not only in the country but also in the Gulf of Thailand region. The increasing importance of this international seaport has led to a commitment to improving its management practices that will ensure the health and safety of port personnel and reduce the impact of port operations to the environment.

 

 

A Blue Ribbon Panel report spearheading a global strategy for aligning ocean health and human well-being has recently been released. The report, entitled Indispensable Ocean: Aligning Ocean Health and Human Well-Being, was released by the Blue Ribbon Panel on 16 October. The Blue Ribbon Panel received inputs from a number of external experts, including the East Asian Seas Council Chair Ambassador Mary Seet-Cheng, who presented the work of PEMSEA during a panel meeting in Singapore last June.

 

 

Quezon City, Philippines — As a testament of its commitment to pursuing excellence and providing quality services, PEMSEA received its ISO 9001:2008 certification last October, adding confidence and credibility to the organization as it continues to champion sustainable development of the seas of East Asia.

 

In an external audit conducted by TÜV Rheinland last June at the PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF), the auditors verified the compliance of the PRF Quality Management System and conformance of the PRF workflow to standard requirements and effectiveness.

 

 

Quezon City, Philippines — PEMSEA will be hosting the Second Asia-Pacific Regional Targeted Workshop for Global Environment Facility (GEF) International Waters (IW) Projects scheduled on 4-6 December. The planned workshop aims to utilize knowledge management to transform good practices in integrated water resource management (IWRM), integrated coastal management (ICM) and integrated river basin and coastal area management (IRBCAM or ICARM) into investments and financing that will support the sustainable development of freshwater and marine ecosystems.

 

 

The 2013 NOWPAP International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) and Workshop on Marine Litter Management were successfully conducted from 24 to 26 October 2013 in Okinawa, Japan.