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Jeremy Hills

The University of the South Pacific, School of Marine Studies, Faculty Member

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Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

University of Cape Town

University of the South Pacific

Achim Schlüter

Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT)

Tamatoa Bambridge

Ehime University

Annette Breckwoldt

Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT)

Te Wānanga o Aotearoa

François Gaulme

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Papers by Jeremy Hills

Designing transdisciplinarity for transformative ocean governance

Frontiers in Marine Science

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sets out a transformative vision which has yet to be ... more The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sets out a transformative vision which has yet to be realised for SDG14 and oceans. Recognition of the “indivisibility” of the Goals and enhanced integration of ocean governance support this transformation, but require at least multidisciplinary, or probably transdisciplinary, approaches. For regions which are highly dependent on development finance, a powerful leverage point for a transdisciplinary transformation is in the design of development investments. The work presented here identifies design features of ocean development-financed projects involving substantial amounts of research in two Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS): Fiji and the Solomon Islands. Transdisciplinary approaches were closely aligned to what is established as Mode 2 research modalities which focus on participation and multi-knowledge systems, as opposed to Mode 1 which have a predominantly scientific basis. From the literature an analytical indicator fra...

Understanding ecosystem services for climate change resilience in coastal environments: a case study of low-canopy sub-tidal seagrass beds in Fiji

Frontiers in Marine Science

The Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are exposed to extreme wave conditions which are projected to... more The Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are exposed to extreme wave conditions which are projected to be exacerbated by rising sea levels due to climate change, prompting the need for strategic planning of coastal communities and assets. Nature-based protection has been proposed as a sustainable solution to promote the resilience of coastal areas from physical impacts such as wave-induced erosion. In this study, we investigate the potential coastal protection service of shallow sub-tidal low-canopy seagrass beds, dominated by Halodule uninervis, on the rate of wave height and wave energy reduction on a barrier and fringing reefs. The data was collected using bottom-mounted pressure sensors to measure wave height and energy reduction as waves moved toward the shoreline across the seagrass beds. The results show that on average, the seagrass beds were able to reduce wave height by 30% and energy by 47% in both reef environments. These reduction rates are strongly influenced by water depth...

Blue Heritage in the Blue Pacific

Springer eBooks, 2022

Orchestrating the Ocean Using a National Ocean Policy: The Case of the Solomon Islands

Oceans are governed by multiple policies at international, regional and national levels. National... more Oceans are governed by multiple policies at international, regional and national levels. National level policies have traditionally been sector-based, covering fisheries, tourism, environment etc. Recently more integrated and holistic National Ocean Policies (NOP) have been promulgated. The Pacific Ocean also has well-developed regional ocean-related policies spanning decades. The work presented here uses lexicometric analysis to map the interlinkages between regional and national policies to determine if they are evolving synergistically. Focusing on the Solomon Islands, due to its reliance on the ocean and producing a NOP in 2018, 13,622 expressions were extracted from the corpus of 8 national and 10 regional ocean-related policies. Network analysis displayed limited differentiation between the NOP, national sector-based policies and regional policies. Clustering of policies showed progressive splitting of policies from a single cluster, rather than by formation of a number of sep...

Management Plan for Crab Island. Development of a Management Plan for the Conservation and Management of Offshore Islets for the Republic of Mauritius

Cool Pavements: State of the Art and New Technologies

Sustainability

With growing urban populations, methods of reducing the urban heat island effect have become incr... more With growing urban populations, methods of reducing the urban heat island effect have become increasingly important. Cool pavements altering the heat storage of materials used in pavements can lead to lower surface temperatures and reduce the thermal radiation emitted to the atmosphere. Cool pavement technologies utilize various strategies to reduce the temperature of new and existing pavements, including increased albedo, evaporative cooling, and reduced heat conduction. This process of negative radiation forces helps offset the impacts of increasing atmospheric temperatures. This paper presents an extensive analysis of the state of the art of cool pavements. The properties and principles of cool pavements are reviewed, including reflectivity, thermal emittance, heat transfer, thermal capacity, and permeability. The different types, research directions, and applications of reflective pavements are outlined and discussed. Maintenance and restoration technologies of cool pavements ar...

Management Plan for Gunner's Quoin. Development of a Management Plan for the Conservation and Management of Offshore Islets for the Republic of Mauritius

A TRAINERS ’ MANUAL FOR INTEGRATED COASTRAL MANAGEMENT CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT Editors

This manual was written during a workshop held at Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India

Relationships between hedgerow characteristics and bird communities:: a multivariate approach

Fifty 100m hedge transects were selected within 10km of Durham City, North England. The bird comm... more Fifty 100m hedge transects were selected within 10km of Durham City, North England. The bird community of the hedge transects was censused six times between May and July, and characteristics of the hedge and surrounding landscape were recorded. The data was analysed using multivariate methods to determine the importance of the microstructure of the hedge in relation to aspects of the bird community. Stepwise Multiple Regression selected the scores of the first axis of a Detrended Correspondance Analysis of shrub abundance data (related to the height and width of the hedge) as the best predictor of Bird species richness and density. Individual species were related to different aspects of the hedge microstructure. The use of transformed independent data improved the predictive value of most of these relationships. A Detrended Correspondance Analysis found that major source of variation in the bird species abundances was due to the number of trees in the hedge. Canonical Correspondance...

Pacific marine climate change report card 2018

This report card provides a summary of climate change impacts on coasts and seas in the Pacific i... more

Saltmarsh Habitat Classification from Satellite Imagery

Saltmarsh habitats provide a good indicator of the condition of the coastal margin environment wi... more Saltmarsh habitats provide a good indicator of the condition of the coastal margin environment with respect to changing sea levels, saltwater inundation, air and water temperature, and land management practices. Fragmented saltmarsh vegetation is often mapped by field techniques, however these are both labour and time intensive and not amenable to the objective monitoring of continuous change. Airborne remote sensing requires extensive logistical preparation, and commissioning of overflights for small areas is expensive. Satellite imagery however is relatively easy to acquire, and once the processing chain has been established can be repeated on a regular basis and at varied sites allowing interannual variations in extent and dynamics to be identified. This research seeks to identify the optimum spatial, temporal and spectral resolutions required to discriminate key indicator habitats from satellite imagery, at sites in northern England and Wales. Pixel-based and object-based method...

The disjuncture between regional ocean priorities and development assistance in the South Pacific

Marine Policy

Promoting sustainable and inclusive oceans management in Pacific islands through women and science

by Tiffany Straza and Jeremy Hills

Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2020

The question of how to efficiently and effectively manage ocean resources in a sustainable way ha... more The question of how to efficiently and effectively manage ocean resources in a sustainable way has reached the forefront of discussion at an international level, but women's contributions to this process have been underestimated or unrecognized. Inclusive management plays a major role in the effective creation, use and adoption of environmental governance, necessitating efforts to measure, monitor and advance inclusivity. In many Pacific island states, there is a lack of disaggregated data collection and management to assist reliable and liable gender-responsive decision-making by national and regional authorities. This lack of information leads to unquantified female contributions and unexplored potential for women to actively contribute to sustainable ocean management as traditional leaders, researchers or science-based managers and in accordance with traditional customs, cultures and processes. This paper examines the contribution of gender-disaggregated data in both (1) effective management of natural resources and (2) measurement and monitoring of the active involvement of women in ocean management. We seek to shift the question from simply "(How) are oceans used by women?" to "How can we build a clear path towards inclusive oceans management using science?", drawing data mainly from gender and ocean management practices in Pacific Small Island Developing States. This work also seeks to ground in reality the increasing national and international evocations about social equity and avoidance of gender discrimination. Given the existing relationships of Pacific peoples with the ocean and the emerging status of ocean science-based governance, wider integration of science and women in marine management can make an interesting and positive impact in this region.

A typology of coastal researchers' modes of interactions with stakeholders

Journal of Science Communication

A feature of the management of natural resources in the coastal zone is that it involves multiple... more A feature of the management of natural resources in the coastal zone is that it involves multiple stakeholders. It has been suggested that the effectiveness of coastal management relies on the cooperation of this multitude of stakeholders in decision-making. This study reports on the findings of an investigation into the modes of interaction used by coastal researchers to communicate with stakeholders. A qualitative research methodology was used through both telephone and in-depth face-toface interviews to elucidate the mechanisms of interaction and, in turn, produce a typology of interaction modes. It was found that there were five main modes of interaction: Limited; Mediator Achieved; Key Stakeholder; Full Interaction and Mixed and that the discipline area in which the researcher worked did not dictate their preferred mode of interaction. It was concluded that although there are a number of limitations to effective participation, these interactions have significant implications fo...

Promoting sustainable and inclusive oceans management in Pacific islands through women and science

Marine Pollution Bulletin

Communicating marine climate change impacts in the Caribbean and Pacific regions

Marine Pollution Bulletin

Sustainable financing of a national Marine Protected Area network in Fiji

Ocean & Coastal Management

Thinking Outside the Box: Deepening Private Sector Investments in Fiji’s Nationally Determined Contributions through Scenario Analysis

Sustainability

Private finance is seen as the financing panacea for resourcing the nationally determined contrib... more Private finance is seen as the financing panacea for resourcing the nationally determined contributions (NDC) submitted by 170 countries to the United Nations (UN) system. Mobilizing private investment is challenging, especially for vulnerable Pacific Island Countries (PICs). Fifteen PICs have already submitted ambitious NDC targets, in which transition towards a sustainable energy environment through investment in renewable energy (RE) is central. Presently, RE investments in PICs are primarily external donor financed, however, reliance on limited and uncertain external finance is unlikely to deliver the required energy transition. A future scenario methodology was used, with Fiji as a case-study; the analysis provided insight into alternative trajectories towards transition. Based on the scenario analysis, an NDC resource mobilization framework was developed. Conclusions suggest that donors should re-orientate their priorities from investments in RE installations, towards investme...

Gazing over the horizon: Will an equitable Green Climate Fund allocation policy be significant for the Pacific post-2020?

Pacific Journalism Review : Te Koakoa

The establishment of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) has increased expectations and optimism amongst... more The establishment of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) has increased expectations and optimism amongst developing countries, especially those that are particularly vulnerable to climate change. The GCF aims to channel a significant portion of global funds for climate change response, with a goal of reaching US$100 billion per year by 2020. Portrayed as a timely saviour to the climate finance needs of vulnerable countries, the allocation of GCF funds among countries will be key to low carbon and resilient futures. Its broad allocation policy increases the possibility that particularly vulnerable countries which have struggled to access international climate finance will continue to face such challenges. Adopting an equitable/fair principle of allocation, this article highlights a number of scenarios on the possible impact of the post-2020 climate financing environment on particularly vulnerable countries with a special focus on the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS). This stud...

Assessing Climate Finance Readiness in the Asia-Pacific Region

Sustainability

Readiness is the current mantra in the climate finance discourse and is a key determinant for acc... more Readiness is the current mantra in the climate finance discourse and is a key determinant for accessing climate finance. This study develops and applies an analytical 3-dimensional framework to appraise climate finance readiness in selected Asia-Pacific countries. Three dimensions of readiness are identified: (1) Policies and Institutions, (2) Knowledge Management and Learning, and (3) Fiscal Policy Environment. Using the Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review as the basis for such framework, the study uncovers a massive readiness gap between countries in the Asian sub-region and those in the Pacific sub-region. The study also found that readiness has a predictable, yet small, impact on the magnitude of climate finance accessed. This suggests that improving readiness alone is not sufficient to unlock climate finance, as access to climate finance is to a larger extent determined by other factors; this is critical to shaping readiness endeavors for the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS), as well as for donors. This study argues for a rethink in the PSIDS current readiness approach, reducing emphasis on multilateral and private flows and diversifying through practical and uncomplicated bilateral and remittance sources. These two sources of finances have a good track record of consistently mobilizing external finance to PSIDS despite their climate finance readiness status. Broadening readiness efforts towards these two alternative funding sources extends the feasibility of the current readiness approach. The present direction of climate finance readiness offers a continuing access dilemma to many of the PSIDS, especially the poorest and most vulnerable.

Designing transdisciplinarity for transformative ocean governance

Frontiers in Marine Science

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sets out a transformative vision which has yet to be ... more The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sets out a transformative vision which has yet to be realised for SDG14 and oceans. Recognition of the “indivisibility” of the Goals and enhanced integration of ocean governance support this transformation, but require at least multidisciplinary, or probably transdisciplinary, approaches. For regions which are highly dependent on development finance, a powerful leverage point for a transdisciplinary transformation is in the design of development investments. The work presented here identifies design features of ocean development-financed projects involving substantial amounts of research in two Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS): Fiji and the Solomon Islands. Transdisciplinary approaches were closely aligned to what is established as Mode 2 research modalities which focus on participation and multi-knowledge systems, as opposed to Mode 1 which have a predominantly scientific basis. From the literature an analytical indicator fra...

Understanding ecosystem services for climate change resilience in coastal environments: a case study of low-canopy sub-tidal seagrass beds in Fiji

Frontiers in Marine Science

The Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are exposed to extreme wave conditions which are projected to... more The Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are exposed to extreme wave conditions which are projected to be exacerbated by rising sea levels due to climate change, prompting the need for strategic planning of coastal communities and assets. Nature-based protection has been proposed as a sustainable solution to promote the resilience of coastal areas from physical impacts such as wave-induced erosion. In this study, we investigate the potential coastal protection service of shallow sub-tidal low-canopy seagrass beds, dominated by Halodule uninervis, on the rate of wave height and wave energy reduction on a barrier and fringing reefs. The data was collected using bottom-mounted pressure sensors to measure wave height and energy reduction as waves moved toward the shoreline across the seagrass beds. The results show that on average, the seagrass beds were able to reduce wave height by 30% and energy by 47% in both reef environments. These reduction rates are strongly influenced by water depth...

Blue Heritage in the Blue Pacific

Springer eBooks, 2022

Orchestrating the Ocean Using a National Ocean Policy: The Case of the Solomon Islands

Oceans are governed by multiple policies at international, regional and national levels. National... more Oceans are governed by multiple policies at international, regional and national levels. National level policies have traditionally been sector-based, covering fisheries, tourism, environment etc. Recently more integrated and holistic National Ocean Policies (NOP) have been promulgated. The Pacific Ocean also has well-developed regional ocean-related policies spanning decades. The work presented here uses lexicometric analysis to map the interlinkages between regional and national policies to determine if they are evolving synergistically. Focusing on the Solomon Islands, due to its reliance on the ocean and producing a NOP in 2018, 13,622 expressions were extracted from the corpus of 8 national and 10 regional ocean-related policies. Network analysis displayed limited differentiation between the NOP, national sector-based policies and regional policies. Clustering of policies showed progressive splitting of policies from a single cluster, rather than by formation of a number of sep...

Management Plan for Crab Island. Development of a Management Plan for the Conservation and Management of Offshore Islets for the Republic of Mauritius

Cool Pavements: State of the Art and New Technologies

Sustainability

With growing urban populations, methods of reducing the urban heat island effect have become incr... more With growing urban populations, methods of reducing the urban heat island effect have become increasingly important. Cool pavements altering the heat storage of materials used in pavements can lead to lower surface temperatures and reduce the thermal radiation emitted to the atmosphere. Cool pavement technologies utilize various strategies to reduce the temperature of new and existing pavements, including increased albedo, evaporative cooling, and reduced heat conduction. This process of negative radiation forces helps offset the impacts of increasing atmospheric temperatures. This paper presents an extensive analysis of the state of the art of cool pavements. The properties and principles of cool pavements are reviewed, including reflectivity, thermal emittance, heat transfer, thermal capacity, and permeability. The different types, research directions, and applications of reflective pavements are outlined and discussed. Maintenance and restoration technologies of cool pavements ar...

Management Plan for Gunner's Quoin. Development of a Management Plan for the Conservation and Management of Offshore Islets for the Republic of Mauritius

A TRAINERS ’ MANUAL FOR INTEGRATED COASTRAL MANAGEMENT CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT Editors

This manual was written during a workshop held at Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India

Relationships between hedgerow characteristics and bird communities:: a multivariate approach

Fifty 100m hedge transects were selected within 10km of Durham City, North England. The bird comm... more Fifty 100m hedge transects were selected within 10km of Durham City, North England. The bird community of the hedge transects was censused six times between May and July, and characteristics of the hedge and surrounding landscape were recorded. The data was analysed using multivariate methods to determine the importance of the microstructure of the hedge in relation to aspects of the bird community. Stepwise Multiple Regression selected the scores of the first axis of a Detrended Correspondance Analysis of shrub abundance data (related to the height and width of the hedge) as the best predictor of Bird species richness and density. Individual species were related to different aspects of the hedge microstructure. The use of transformed independent data improved the predictive value of most of these relationships. A Detrended Correspondance Analysis found that major source of variation in the bird species abundances was due to the number of trees in the hedge. Canonical Correspondance...

Pacific marine climate change report card 2018

This report card provides a summary of climate change impacts on coasts and seas in the Pacific i... more

Saltmarsh Habitat Classification from Satellite Imagery

Saltmarsh habitats provide a good indicator of the condition of the coastal margin environment wi... more Saltmarsh habitats provide a good indicator of the condition of the coastal margin environment with respect to changing sea levels, saltwater inundation, air and water temperature, and land management practices. Fragmented saltmarsh vegetation is often mapped by field techniques, however these are both labour and time intensive and not amenable to the objective monitoring of continuous change. Airborne remote sensing requires extensive logistical preparation, and commissioning of overflights for small areas is expensive. Satellite imagery however is relatively easy to acquire, and once the processing chain has been established can be repeated on a regular basis and at varied sites allowing interannual variations in extent and dynamics to be identified. This research seeks to identify the optimum spatial, temporal and spectral resolutions required to discriminate key indicator habitats from satellite imagery, at sites in northern England and Wales. Pixel-based and object-based method...

The disjuncture between regional ocean priorities and development assistance in the South Pacific

Marine Policy

Promoting sustainable and inclusive oceans management in Pacific islands through women and science

by Tiffany Straza and Jeremy Hills

Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2020

The question of how to efficiently and effectively manage ocean resources in a sustainable way ha... more The question of how to efficiently and effectively manage ocean resources in a sustainable way has reached the forefront of discussion at an international level, but women's contributions to this process have been underestimated or unrecognized. Inclusive management plays a major role in the effective creation, use and adoption of environmental governance, necessitating efforts to measure, monitor and advance inclusivity. In many Pacific island states, there is a lack of disaggregated data collection and management to assist reliable and liable gender-responsive decision-making by national and regional authorities. This lack of information leads to unquantified female contributions and unexplored potential for women to actively contribute to sustainable ocean management as traditional leaders, researchers or science-based managers and in accordance with traditional customs, cultures and processes. This paper examines the contribution of gender-disaggregated data in both (1) effective management of natural resources and (2) measurement and monitoring of the active involvement of women in ocean management. We seek to shift the question from simply "(How) are oceans used by women?" to "How can we build a clear path towards inclusive oceans management using science?", drawing data mainly from gender and ocean management practices in Pacific Small Island Developing States. This work also seeks to ground in reality the increasing national and international evocations about social equity and avoidance of gender discrimination. Given the existing relationships of Pacific peoples with the ocean and the emerging status of ocean science-based governance, wider integration of science and women in marine management can make an interesting and positive impact in this region.

A typology of coastal researchers' modes of interactions with stakeholders

Journal of Science Communication

A feature of the management of natural resources in the coastal zone is that it involves multiple... more A feature of the management of natural resources in the coastal zone is that it involves multiple stakeholders. It has been suggested that the effectiveness of coastal management relies on the cooperation of this multitude of stakeholders in decision-making. This study reports on the findings of an investigation into the modes of interaction used by coastal researchers to communicate with stakeholders. A qualitative research methodology was used through both telephone and in-depth face-toface interviews to elucidate the mechanisms of interaction and, in turn, produce a typology of interaction modes. It was found that there were five main modes of interaction: Limited; Mediator Achieved; Key Stakeholder; Full Interaction and Mixed and that the discipline area in which the researcher worked did not dictate their preferred mode of interaction. It was concluded that although there are a number of limitations to effective participation, these interactions have significant implications fo...

Promoting sustainable and inclusive oceans management in Pacific islands through women and science

Marine Pollution Bulletin

Communicating marine climate change impacts in the Caribbean and Pacific regions

Marine Pollution Bulletin

Sustainable financing of a national Marine Protected Area network in Fiji

Ocean & Coastal Management

Thinking Outside the Box: Deepening Private Sector Investments in Fiji’s Nationally Determined Contributions through Scenario Analysis

Sustainability

Private finance is seen as the financing panacea for resourcing the nationally determined contrib... more Private finance is seen as the financing panacea for resourcing the nationally determined contributions (NDC) submitted by 170 countries to the United Nations (UN) system. Mobilizing private investment is challenging, especially for vulnerable Pacific Island Countries (PICs). Fifteen PICs have already submitted ambitious NDC targets, in which transition towards a sustainable energy environment through investment in renewable energy (RE) is central. Presently, RE investments in PICs are primarily external donor financed, however, reliance on limited and uncertain external finance is unlikely to deliver the required energy transition. A future scenario methodology was used, with Fiji as a case-study; the analysis provided insight into alternative trajectories towards transition. Based on the scenario analysis, an NDC resource mobilization framework was developed. Conclusions suggest that donors should re-orientate their priorities from investments in RE installations, towards investme...

Gazing over the horizon: Will an equitable Green Climate Fund allocation policy be significant for the Pacific post-2020?

Pacific Journalism Review : Te Koakoa

The establishment of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) has increased expectations and optimism amongst... more The establishment of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) has increased expectations and optimism amongst developing countries, especially those that are particularly vulnerable to climate change. The GCF aims to channel a significant portion of global funds for climate change response, with a goal of reaching US$100 billion per year by 2020. Portrayed as a timely saviour to the climate finance needs of vulnerable countries, the allocation of GCF funds among countries will be key to low carbon and resilient futures. Its broad allocation policy increases the possibility that particularly vulnerable countries which have struggled to access international climate finance will continue to face such challenges. Adopting an equitable/fair principle of allocation, this article highlights a number of scenarios on the possible impact of the post-2020 climate financing environment on particularly vulnerable countries with a special focus on the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS). This stud...

Assessing Climate Finance Readiness in the Asia-Pacific Region

Sustainability

Readiness is the current mantra in the climate finance discourse and is a key determinant for acc... more Readiness is the current mantra in the climate finance discourse and is a key determinant for accessing climate finance. This study develops and applies an analytical 3-dimensional framework to appraise climate finance readiness in selected Asia-Pacific countries. Three dimensions of readiness are identified: (1) Policies and Institutions, (2) Knowledge Management and Learning, and (3) Fiscal Policy Environment. Using the Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review as the basis for such framework, the study uncovers a massive readiness gap between countries in the Asian sub-region and those in the Pacific sub-region. The study also found that readiness has a predictable, yet small, impact on the magnitude of climate finance accessed. This suggests that improving readiness alone is not sufficient to unlock climate finance, as access to climate finance is to a larger extent determined by other factors; this is critical to shaping readiness endeavors for the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS), as well as for donors. This study argues for a rethink in the PSIDS current readiness approach, reducing emphasis on multilateral and private flows and diversifying through practical and uncomplicated bilateral and remittance sources. These two sources of finances have a good track record of consistently mobilizing external finance to PSIDS despite their climate finance readiness status. Broadening readiness efforts towards these two alternative funding sources extends the feasibility of the current readiness approach. The present direction of climate finance readiness offers a continuing access dilemma to many of the PSIDS, especially the poorest and most vulnerable.