The Cook Islands National Environment Service (NES) participated in the Pacific BioScapes GIS Capacity Building Workshop, held from 26 to 29 May 2025 at Infrastructure Cook Islands, Rarotonga. Hosted by the IUCN Oceania Office and supported by the Marae Moana Coordination Office and ICI, this workshop was part of the Pacific BioScapes Project, aimed at enhancing the technical capacity of Pacific Island governments in Marine Spatial Planning (MSP).
The training focused on building core GIS skills and understanding the foundational role spatial data plays in effective marine planning and decision-making. Representatives from multiple Cook Islands government agencies attended, including the Ministry of Marine Resources, Ministry of Transport, Climate Change Cook Islands, and the Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority.
Through hands-on exercises using QGIS and open-access tools like Allen Coral Atlas and GEBCO, staff practiced key GIS tasks such as data conversion, grid creation, overlay analysis, and spatial validation. Participants were introduced to the IUCN 10-step MSP framework, learned about the integration of Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs), Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), and Special, Unique Marine Areas (SUMAs), and explored national bioregions and existing marine assessments.
The workshop also introduced tools such as the Map Marker app for field data collection and covered best practices in spatial data quality and metadata standards, further reinforcing the importance of accurate, timely, and locally verified geospatial information.
As a result of the training, NES staff gained practical GIS skills, and an understanding of how spatial analysis can support sustainable marine governance. This is an important step in equipping Cook Islands agencies with the tools to make informed decisions that reflect both conservation goals and local knowledge in managing our vast ocean space.
