With the loss of large fields of agricultural grasslands to corn and soybean, and the lack of interest in installing new ones, wildlife dependent upon this habitat inevitably are impacted. Grasslands in North America rank as one of the region's 21 most endangered ecosystems. Many remaining grasslands, especially in eastern North America are almost entirely embedded within agricultural landscapes. Because of landscape changes, many endangered birds and other wildlife, including pollinators, are increasingly dependent on the agricultural community for habitat creation, maintenance, and health.

More farmers need to know about Spelt and its usefulness in food production.  Through outreach and demonstartion it can be a viable option for other agricultural producers to adopt into their rotations, which will diversify their farm income.

The success of the National Marine Sanctuary will largely depend upon the quality of its marine surveillance and enforcement. As a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), Palau lacks the resources to adequately patrol its waters.  Throughout the process of developing and implementing the PNMS, Palau has sought active partnerships with fellow nations, NGO’s and technology providers to develop and fund a comprehensive monitoring, control and surveillance strategy.  Palau now looks forward to numerous contributions to its surveillance and enforcement capacity in the coming months.

The financing scheme for the Sanctuary is also novel.  Under the law creating the Sanctuary, all tourism visitors must pay a Pristine Paradise Environmental Fee (PPEF), which, will be used to ensure surveillance, enforcement and necessary administration of the PNMS.  A very strong effort is also underway to supplement this anticipated annual revenue of $1.5 million with contributions with country partners and friends.  Palau is in the process of raising such funds and in establishing a companion Sanctuary Endowment Fund into which the contributions will be placed.

Much of this additional funding will go towards establishing a comprehensive surveillance and monitoring program to enforce the law.  This enhanced surveillance effort has, as a critical component continued and expanded  trans boundary cooperation in the Micronesia region with neighbors and primary partners, the United States, Japan, Australia and the Republic of China, Taiwan. 

Palau has a long history of managing its fisheries. For generation upon generation, the Traditional Chiefs placed vulnerable reef areas off limits to fishing, known as a “bul,” to protect both biodiversity and the livelihoods and food security of their people. In these modern times, it is broadly accepted that “marine capture fisheries have direct impacts not only on the target market species, most significantly tuna, but also can have large impacts on a number of incidentally caught species, some of which are particularly vulnerable to overexploitation and can directly degrade habitat and can have broad indirect or collateral effects on community structure and processes. 

Using this traditional method of conservation, Palau has created a "whole-domain" management approach from ridge to reef and beyond, the most ambitous component being the Palau National Marine Sanctuary. As Palau moves forward with the implementation of the PNMS, the Bul concept is kept in the forefront of all processes. 

Conservation agreements are an integral part of the financial sustainability of measures to adapt to climate change and the spatial integrity of the communal reserves. By extending the areas of conservation and sustainable use of the resources of the communal reserve, they enable the use of the communal territory while at the same time allowing for a use of the adjacent natural protected area.

The conservation agreements contribute to the harmonization of management and planning of the communal territory by consolidating the permitted uses for their areas in a contract with the relevant authorities (ECAs and headquarters of national protected areas). In return, the communities gain key allies to continue obtaining technical and financial support to expand productive activities (adaptation measures) that were initially supported by the EbA Amazonía project.

Since 2011, the scientific community has engaged an ecoregionalization work, leading to the identification of important marine areas in the French Southern Lands (TAF) and neighbouring high sea. In this frame, Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas have been designated by the CBD that include a large part of TAF waters. In 2016, the outcomes of the CROMEBA program (Crozet Marine Ecosystem Based Approach) and a workshop on Kerguelen marine ecosystems informed the spatial conservation planning of the enlarged TAF nature reserve. Scientific inputs allowed designating more than 128 000 km2 of strict protection area (Cat. Ia. IUCN) and identifying priorities for actions for the new management plan. In a context of major knowledge gaps on marine ecosystems, the strengthening of research programs in poorly documented areas, in particular on deep-sea and offshore ecosystems, contribute to the regular update of the management objectives, regulations and protection status of the nature reserve. This work will also contribute to the development of the CCAMLR MPA network in Antarctica and the promotion of the creation of high sea MPAs.

Since the 1950’s, scientists are studying the uniqueness of the French Southern Lands (TAF) acting as an open-sky lab for researchers on natural sciences. The first scientific stations built then now constitute the districts capitals that welcome more than 200 scientists every year from 60 research programs. The Institut Polaire Paul-Emile Victor (IPEV) coordinates those activities and ensures the excellence of scientific research in the TAF.

Since 1955, the local authority of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF) administrates this territory, placing science and environmental protection as a key stone of French sovereignty on the TAF.

Aware of the vulnerability of these ecosystems, the scientific community advocated for the creation of the TAF nature reserve and advised its extension at sea in 2016. The nature reserve management, ensured by TAAF, is supported by a scientific committee, the Polar environment Committee (CEP), which provides advice for research and management actions.

With the enlarged perimeter of the reserve, the link with scientists is more essential than ever. The new management plan includes research activities to inform an adapted and efficient management of the rich and vulnerable ecosystems of TAF.

The protection of iconic surf breaks needs to have a strong advocay group/base to support a wide range of actions both at the national and local level to secure the protection of the break. These actions include: participating in campaigns, networking and identifying potential technical cooperation, identifying  key persons which can offer pro bono support, assisting in developing technical files describing the surf breaks and their characteristics, etc. 

SPDA has led the registration of over 10 surf breaks which are now formally protected. This leadership is key because there is need for dynamic, strong and visible actions which can be informed to the key actors/base of stakeholders who support the idea of protecting surf breaks and their surroundings. Leadership in this context involves not only "action" per se but internal legal capacityto navigate the amnlistrative procedures and requirements to lead to the recognition of a particular surf break as subject of protection. This leadership includes: systematizing relevant documents (p.e. maps, analysis of social context, environmental and ecologic descrition of the area, map of actors, etc.), presenting them to the relevant authority (DICAPI - the Direction of Ports and Marine Officials), following and monitoring process and presenting complementary documentation, undertaking press conferences, leading media campaigns, etc.