BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

Pacific Islanders now have a powerful new tool at their fingertips with the launch of the Pacific Ocean Portal, a free online platform that makes important ocean information easier to access and understand.

The Portal is designed to be simple and user-friendly. It allows people to view maps, graphs and forecasts about the ocean and even save or download the data.

Whether you’re a student, fisher, tourism operator, or shipping company, the platform offers information that can support daily activities and long-term planning.

On the Portal, users can find real-time tide, sea level and wave observations, along with daily updates on coral bleaching, marine heatwaves, salinity, and sea surface temperature.

Forecasts for tides, winds, and wave conditions are also available, as well as seasonal and long-term climate trends.

Students and researchers can use the Portal to create maps and graphs for their studies or presentations.

Fishers can check conditions such as chlorophyll levels and water temperature to spot potential fishing areas and plan trips safely.

Tourism operators can use it to monitor tides, currents and waves to keep visitors safe during diving, surfing and other water activities.

For maritime authorities and shipping operators, the Portal provides tide and wave forecasts, plus data to support safer routes and port operations.

The platform also links to an expert directory and a library of useful reports, tide calendars and surveys, making it a one-stop shop for ocean knowledge in the region.

By bringing all this information together in one place, the Pacific Ocean Portal is expected to help Pacific people stay safe at sea, protect marine resources, and prepare for the impacts of a changing climate.

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