A survey of a Honduran or big-leaf mahogany forest (Swietenia macrophylla King)  was carried out in 2018-2019 at Piti on Guam. Results indicate the forest includes 516 mature trees that cover an area of 3.4 ha. The oldest trees are 92 years old. The average tree has a diameter at breast height (DBH) of 60.8 cm and a height of 17.7 m. The density is 152 trees/ha and the growth rate is 0.72 cm/year. The forest can be characterized by abundant natural regeneration (77,500 seedlings/ha), vigorous and constant growth and an absence of insect pests and plant diseases. A comparison with an earlier survey in 1992 indicates the forest has rapidly expanded, from 1.3 ha in 1992 to 3.4 ha in 2018.

The Micronesia Challenge (MC) is an agreement initiated in 2006 by the region’s political jurisdictions to conserve both marine and terrestrial natural resources. To assess the success of the terrestrial goals of the challenge, the Micronesia Conservation Trust (MCT) coordinated the compilation of a list of terrestrial measures and utilized them to summarize data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. The MCT and FIA programs added and measured additional forest plots within conservation and special management areas on Guam, within conservation, special management areas or previously unsampled islands in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), and on previously unsampled islands in the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI). Data from these forested plots show that the special management areas (MC areas) generally exhibited preferred forest conditions compared to unmanaged areas (Non-MC areas) across Micronesia. In Guam and FSM, MC areas had less forest area disturbed by people, less forest area with invasive plant species, higher ratios of endemic to invasive tree species, and taller trees than Non-MC areas. In RMI, MC areas had higher basal area and canopy cover than Non-MC areas. Among all jurisdictions, the Republic of Palau had the highest species diversity and endemism and the highest average canopy cover; the Mariana Islands (Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands and Guam) had the smallest trees, the lowest basal area, the highest stem density, the lowest average canopy cover, and the highest levels of disturbance and invasive species coverage; FSM had the highest diversity of forest communities, the largest trees, the lowest stem density, and the highest average basal area; RMI had the lowest levels of disturbance and invasive species coverage. Results from this analysis can be used to understand the role of management based on indicators of forested areas across the region.

Two 56-day trials were conducted to evaluate the effects on the performance and feed utilization efficiency of four experimental diets formulated with different plant-based meals to completely replace fish meal for juvenile golden-lined rabbitfish (Siganus lineatus). A commercial and currently employed feed was used as control, while the experimental diets were formulated and manufactured with a combination of duckweed (Lentein), fermented soybean (MrFeed Pro50s), soy protein concentrate (Profine), and soybean meal. Each trial had a total of 120 fish (trial 1: 9.29 ± 0.14 g/fish; trial 2: 7.74 ± 0.25 g/fish) stocked in groups of 10 in a total of 12 floating cages (47.7 L) within two 3-ton flow-through tanks (Koror, Palau). Control and experimental diets were fed to quadruplet cages by hand to visual satiation for one hour four times a day to a maximum of 5% body weight in trial 1, and two times per day to a maximum of 3% body weight in trial 2. Trial 1 tested diet 1 (42% Lentein, 15% MrPro50s) and diet 2 (42% Lentein, 15% soybean meal) with no significant differences (p > 0.05) in terms of growth performances (final weight, weight gain and specific growth rate) and feed utilization (feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio), while feed intake was significantly different (p < 0.05). Trial 2 tested diet 3 (23% soy protein concentrate, 20% soybean meal) and diet 4 (27% soy protein concentrate, 10% soybean meal) with significant differences in terms of growth performances but no differences in terms of feed utilization and feed intake. Survival was unaffected by the treatments (p > 0.05).