Polluted paradise

One might expect small islands in distant parts of the world to have an ideal environment, free from the threats to wildlife and plant life faced by the more populated parts of the world. But the threat to biodiversity in places as far apart as the South Atlantic through to the Caribbean, from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, is just as significant and the efforts of hundreds of men and women plus the expenditure of of a lot of money is needed to fight encroachment and save many species of wildlife and vegetation from extinction. Typically, the economy of the Caribbean island of Anguilla - only 90 square kilometres of land and less than 12,000 people - relies heavily on fishing and tourism, but the success of these has resulted in a serious threat to the coral reefs, mangrove wetland, waterfowl, the iguana, and a wide variety of plant life. Anguilla is just one of a dozen or so small territories throughout the world that have chosen to retain their constitutional links with the United Kingdom rather than seek fully independent status. Added together, their population is less than 200,000 and many inevitably rely on significant UK aid, with

part of this going towards environmental projects - over 4.3 million pounds sterling in the last three years. And the government has announced plans to bring an added coherence to environmental protection and will contribute an extra 1.5 million pounds sterling. The territories contain a wide range of habitats and wildlife of global significance and they have many unique species of animals and plants. The environment also provides a source of economic livelihood for many people.

The Cayman Islands, for example, relies heavily on the tourist industry, which in turn depends on the richness of its marine environment. The Falkland Islands and Tristan da Cunha, in particular, rely on sustainable fisheries. But these habitats are under pressure. Some are threatened by the economic development they help to sustain; others by introduced species of animals and plants and some by changing conditions such as rising sea temperatures linked to global warming. These pressures rarely exist in isolation - a rise in sea temperatures can kill coral reefs, which in turn means the loss of marine animals and plants. This disrupts ecosystems and increases damage to resources on which people rely, such as fish stocks - often already under pressure. It was in one of these remote areas that scientists first discovered the hole in the ozone layer, triggering international concern about the effects of atmospheric pollution, a barometer of the world's climatic health. The terrain is a natural reserve and the monitoring of conditions allows scientists to predict possible global changes.

The island of Ascension, midway between Brazil and Africa, has over 300 species of animals and birds and much of the endemic plant life is threatened with extinction unless urgent action is taken - with part of the problem arising from introduced plants and species. The island also has one of the world's major breeding colonies for the endangered green turtle with around 2,000 nesting each year. A team from the Swansea University is now undertaking a two-year study of the turtles, the first for 20 years.

Bermuda in the western Atlantic is densely populated with around 60,000 people. The island's coral reefs are of particular scientific importance, forming the most northerly coral reef system in the world and the limestone caves are regarded internationally as being of exceptional biological significance. Measures are also being taken to propagate rare species in botanical gardens for replacement in the wild. The islands of the British Indian Ocean Territory, south of Sri Lanka, have over 4,000 square kilometres of near-surface coral reefs - a significant proportion of an important and increasingly threatened global heritage. Originally heavily wooded, the majority of the islands were cleared for coconut plantations, while the inhabitants also brought a variety of animals that have had a considerable detrimental impact on the native flora and fauna. Illegal shark fishing also remains a problem and it was recently estimated that there had been a massive collapse in their numbers.

One of the pressures on the environment in the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean has been a massive increase in the population as a result of immigration and the subsequent growth in tourism. There has been immense pressure on habitats and the marine turtle population is under threat, but the reintroduction of the Caribbean flamingo has been a notable success story. The rugged Falkland Islands in the south Atlantic, off the coast of South America, are especially important internationally for their bird and marine mammal population and they also have 14 flowering plants found nowhere else in the world. While fishing activity has impacted heavily on the sea lion population, down from nearly 400,000 to 15,000 at the last census, the islands have 22 species of whales, porpoises and dolphins. Montserrat in the Leeward Islands has suffered a series of natural disasters that have profoundly disrupted the economy and ecology of the island - being hit over the last five years by hurricanes and major volcanic activity. An emergency action plan for a variety of species is now in place.

The Pitcairn Islands in the south Pacific are best known for being colonised by the Bounty mutineers in the late 18th century and still support internationally significant sea bird populations. The islands are one of the world's main breeding stations for a species of petrel. One of the projects involves the eradication of an invasive rat population causing immense damage to other wildlife.