Tawali in Papua New Guinea is one of the most remote resorts on earth—and that's just the way territorial divers and snorkelers like it. Tawali is their little secret.

Accessible only by boat, the journey to this dedicated divers' resort involves a one-hour flight from Port Moresby, a two-hour drive along bumpy, mostly unsealed roads, and a 30-minute speedboat ride.

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This time, they were ready.

Unlike a similar event in 1998, the 2010 mass coral bleaching occurred when a reef monitoring research system was already in place at key locations around the country.

Called the Remote Sensing Information for Living Environments and Nationwide Tools (RESILIENT) for Sentinel Ecosystems in Archipelagic Seas (SEAS), this large research program on climate change in coastal zones is funded by the Department of Science and Technology.

In a region that includes idyllic island destinations such as Palau, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Samoa, not to mention New Zealand's stunning landscapes, there is stiff competition for the title of "natural wonder."

Marovo Lagoon in the Solomon Islands is one of the contenders, and its nomination is well-deserved.

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East Timor is home to one of the world's best coral reefs. The colorful coral has thrived and remained largely unaffected, ironically, due to the country's onshore armed conflict.

Potentially harmful impacts from industrial pollution and tourism have been limited because the conflict kept investors and tourists away.

However, the government is now focusing on rapid industrialization and economic development, particularly the construction of a new power plant.

Location: Hong Kong.

Goal: To participate in the Hong Kong LRFT meetings and deliver our messages and encouragement to develop more sustainable LFT fisheries.

China’s rapidly growing economy is also expanding the country’s ecological footprint. As the Chinese middle class grows, more people can now afford delicacies that were once reserved for the privileged few.

For example, Chinese consumers pay four to eight times more for the privilege of choosing their fish alive from restaurant tanks. But as demand for live reef fish continues to rise, the seas of Southeast Asia are feeling the impact.

Scientists from the US-based Conservation International announced that they may have discovered 12 new fish species in the waters off Bali.

“Right now, the fish are being identified and classified. Hopefully by December, or at the latest by January, the names can be listed and formalized as new species,” said the group’s coral fish researcher, Mark van Nydeck.

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