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The period covered by this review was one of disruption and transition. The administration of Pres Emanuel Mori wound down after eight years of fitful socioeconomic progress and frequent battles with the Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), but not before grappling with several body blows to the federation: three successive typhoons and a strong push for secession by government officials and other political figures in Chuuk, one of the four states in the federation. To the end of its tenure, the Mori administration also strove to address various challenges of particular relevance for a small island developing state, including the conservation and sustainable use of limited natural resources, the combating of climate change, and the careful tending of fragile economic prospects. The FSM endured a number of disruptions during the period under review, but perhaps the most serious disruption -- and certainly the most widely discussed -- was a secession push by the state of Chuuk.

Background Coral reefs face unprecedented declines in diversity and cover, a development largely attributed to climate change-induced bleaching and subsequent disease outbreaks. Coral-associated microbiomes may strongly influence the fitness of their hosts and alter heat tolerance and disease susceptibility of coral colonies. Here, we describe a new coral disease found in Micronesia and present a detailed assessment of infection-driven changes in the coral microbiome. Results Combining field monitoring and histological, microscopic and next-generation barcoding assessments, we demonstrate that the outbreak of the disease, named ‘grey-patch disease’, is associated with the establishment of cyanobacterial biofilm overgrowing coral tissue. The disease is characterised by slow progression rates, with coral tissue sometimes growing back over the GPD biofilm. Network analysis of the corals’ microbiome highlighted the clustering of specific microbes which appeared to benefit from the onset of disease, resulting in the formation of ‘infection clusters’ in the microbiomes of apparently healthy corals. Conclusions Our results appear to be in contrast to the recently proposed Anna-Karenina principle, which states that disturbances (such as disease) trigger chaotic dynamics in microbial communities and increase β-diversity. Here, we show significantly higher community similarity (compositional homogeneity) in the pathobiome of diseased corals, compared to the microbiome associated with apparently healthy tissue. A possible explanation for this pattern is strong competition between the pathogenic community and those associated with the ‘healthy’ coral holobiont, homogenising the composition of the pathobiome. Further, one of our key findings is that multiple agents appear to be involved in degrading the corals’ defences causing the onset of this disease. This supports recent findings indicating a need for a shift from the one-pathogen-one-disease paradigm to exploring the importance of multiple pathogenic players in any given disease.

Metodos Se obtuvieron datos del Ministerio de Salud sobre el numero de casos de microcefalia notificados y confirmados en todos los estados de Brasil entre noviembre de 2015 y octubre de 2016. En el estado de Pernambuco, uno de los mas afectados, se disponia de datos semanales desde agosto de 2015 hasta octubre de 2016 para diferentes definiciones de microcefalia. Se calculo el riesgo absoluto de microcefalia utilizando la cifra media de nacidos vivos registrados en todos los estados en el periodo de tiempo correspondiente entre 2012 y 2014 y asumiendo dos tasas de infeccion: 10% y 50%. El riesgo relativo se estimo utilizando la frecuencia de fondo de microcefalia registrada en Brasil de 1,98 por cada 10 000 nacidos vivos.

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic caused school closures and rises in mental illness and non-communicable disease among school children worldwide. The Pacific Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) were also affected, but school health activities, which can effectively reduce negative effects of COVID-19, were not widely implemented compared to other Asia-Pacific countries. This study examined current school health implementation and related policies at national, local, and school levels in the Micronesia SIDS according to phases of COVID-19 control. Methods Multi-country case study targeted the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and Republic of Palau (ROP). These studies focused on school health implementation periods according to the PPR (Prevention, Preparedness, and Response) concept: Phase #1: prevention/preparedness, #2: early phase response, and #3: chronic phase response/recovery phase. Data were collected through policy document reviews that identified school health policies related to COVID-19 controls in the three phases and key informant interviews (KIIs) with 44 key informants (FSM, n  = 14; RMI, n  = 18; ROP, n  = 12) whose work related to school health. The collected data were analyzed using content analysis methods according to the conceptual framework in this study. Results This study identified three factors of school health implementation related to COVID-19 controls: promotion of decentralized education (FSM), implementation of COVID-19 controls in the school community (RMI), and disaster management for the protection of students including response to infectious disease (ROP). In Phase #1, no country had established a school health policy. In Phase #2, three enablers were identified in FSM and ROP, as reflected in COVID-19 controls by the education and health sectors. In Phase #3, RMI implemented COVID-19 controls in the school community. Documents on youth policy and disaster management in ROP were updated to reflect the chronic phase response and response to future public health crises. Conclusions A decentralized education was instrumental in immediately implementing COVID-19 control measures in schools at national and local levels for coordination between education and health sectors. Despite each county’s multi-sectoral approach to engage COVID-19 controls in schools, local government organization requires strengthening and implementation of the formulated school health policy. In preparation for the next public health crisis, school health should be promoted that is integrated into both infection control and disaster management.

The limestone cliff face overlooking the coastline of Ritidian, on Guam, has revealed several caves with evidence of human activities. Since 2011, archaeological survey and excavation have exposed how use of the caves had changed over time, and that they were the focus of special behaviours, with quite distinct archaeology to that of nearby residential sites. To understand the significance of these caves fully, they must be contextualised within the broader framework of contemporary open-air sites. The result highlights the use of the caves for unique purposes at different times, including as water sources, venues for various art traditions and particular burial customs.

Chikungunya virus is a mosquito-borne alphavirus which causes an acute febrile illness associated with polyarthralgia. Beginning in August 2013, clinicians from the Yap State Department of Health in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) identified an unusual cluster of illness which was subsequently confirmed to be chikungunya virus disease. Chikungunya virus disease previously had not been recognized in FSM. Information from patients presenting to healthcare facilities was collected and analyzed. During August 11, 2013, to August 10, 2014, a total of 1,761 clinical cases were reported for an attack rate of 155 clinical cases per 1,000 population. Among residents of Yap Main Island, 3% were hospitalized. There were no deaths. The outbreak began on Yap Main Island and rapidly spread throughout Yap Main Island and to three neighboring islands. Chikungunya virus can cause explosive outbreaks with substantial morbidity. Given the increasing globalization of chikungunya virus, strong surveillance systems and access to laboratory testing are essential to detect outbreaks.

The inaugural Pacific Ecological Security Conference (PESC) was held in October 2022, bringing together over 100 island leaders, policy-makers, natural resource managers and global and regional invasive species experts to prioritise the critical issue of invasive species in the Pacific Islands Region. Participants confirmed that invasive species are a major threat to building and maintaining climate resilience and adaptability of Pacific Island ecosystems, as well as food security, biodiversity, sustainable livelihoods and the protection of cultural resources and way of life. Three region-wide strategic action plans were developed to guide interventions focused on the topics of invasive ants, coconut rhinoceros beetle and the use of biological control as a pest and weed management tool. These plans were the major outcome of the PESC and, when implemented, will result in coordinated activities that take a “whole-of-Pacific” approach to invasive species biosecurity and management. Here, we briefly describe the background, planning and engagement process for the three plans, summarise any country- and territory-level data obtained through the process and detail what is planned to occur over the next few years. In addition to the adoption and implementation of the strategies as a result of this inaugural PESC, we anticipate that the PESC will become the premier regional conference aimed at reducing the entry and impacts of invasive species to improve sustainability of environments and peoples of the Pacific.

Documenting the continuity of traditional land use practices on Guam, from before Spanish Contact in 1521 to after the Colonial La Reduccion ca. 1700, is provocative. La Reduccion refers to a period after Spanish settlement in 1668 when all indigenous inhabitants of northern Guam were removed from their traditional homes and sent to six southern villages under the watchful eye of administrative and religious authorities, except those residing on the island of Rota. Recent geoarchaeological excavations at Site 66-08-0141, located on the northern plateau in South Finegayan, have exposed at least two latte sets or pre-Contact habitations with traditional Micronesian earth ovens post-dating Spanish settlement. Artifacts included Latte Period pottery, marine shell adzes, a limestone sling stone, and historic to modern refuse from WWII to the modern era. Microfossil evidence of pandanus, coconuts, and likely cultivation of rice and taro have expanded our understanding of subsistence farming in micro-environments within the tropical forest a generation or more after 1700 and La Reduccion. This suggests that archaeological evidence of land use continuity and indigenous resistance and accommodation to Spanish Colonial entanglement exists, while challenging prior historiography across the Pacific; such sites hold much potential to bring native voices to early communities long disenfranchised by the colonization experience. KEYWORDS: entanglement, Guam, Spanish Contact, latte.