Kia Orana
Welcome to Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust blog page, where we publish short articles, news pieces and research reports on Cook Islands biodiversity, nature and environment in which they live.
This website is a companion website to the Cook Islands Biodiversity and Ethnobiology Database (CIBED). This website is a portal for information sharing through the publication of short articles showcasing Cook Islands plants, animals and other organisms. The articles also cover topics of relevance to our living world, such as geology, climatology, ethnography and conservation.
Check out our latest articles below or visit our Blog page or use the All Categories Index to find more interesting and exciting articles on Cook Islands natural heritage.
Keanui’s Biodiversity Bonanza
05/06/2021Gerald McCormack, Natural Heritage Trust First published Cook Islands News (5th June 2021), here (6th June 2021) Residents often talk about Cook Islands biodiversity, but few have discovered as many unrecorded species as 6-year-old Keanui Selam. His recent insect-catching expeditions led to the [continue reading…]Will nodule mining destroy our deep sea ecosystem services?
19/05/2021Gerald McCormack, Natural Heritage Trust First published Cook Islands News (29 May 2021), updated here (29 May 2021) In an article concerning the possibility of seabed nodule mining in the Cook Islands (Cook Islands News 27 March), Te Ipukarea Society wrote “We are confident that further research [continue reading…]Cook Islands Seabed Minerals – the booklet
27/04/2021Gerald McCormack, Natural Heritage Trust Booklet published 2016. Available here 28 April 2021 The Trust’s booklet “Cook Islands Seabed Minerals – a precautionary approach to mining” was published in 2016 after three years of research. The booklet provides baseline [continue reading…]We’re away, home again in September
14/04/2021Gerald McCormack, Natural Heritage Trust First published (14 April 2021), short version CI News (14 April 2021) The Pacific Golden Plover, or Tōrea, is our most common Alaskan migrant. It is conspicuous on larger grassy areas during the summer and most are now in their dramatic breeding [continue reading…]Anonymous TIS criticism misguided
23/02/2021Gerald McCormack, Natural Heritage Trust First published CINews (24 Feb. 2021), updated. The following article answers Te Ipukarea Society (TIS) criticisms (CI News 20 February) of the author’s article on the possible impacts of seabed mining on nodule-associated benthic megafauna (CI News 11 [continue reading…]Cycads and their Golden Age
19/02/2021Joseph Brider, Natural Heritage Trust. First published online (19 Feb 2021). What do Japanese Sago-palms, Queen Sago-palms and Cardboard Palms all have in common? Well… they are NOT palms, they are all Cycads! The ‘palm’ reference comes from the shape of their leaves and [continue reading…]Nodule mining impact on benthic megafauna
17/02/2021Gerald McCormack, Natural Heritage Trust First published CI News 11 Feb. 2021, last update 23 Mar. 2021. This article discusses the likely impact of nodule mining on the megafauna associated with nodules in the South Penrhyn Basin (SPB), from Penrhyn southward to Aitutaki and Palmerston. This [continue reading…]
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