The Ecosystems of the Small Islands in the Southwest Pacific (The Sixth expedition of the SS "Callisto"). UNEP Regional Seas Reports and Studies No. 151

The main objective of this expedition is to compare as large a series of Islands of different climatic conditions, ages, and geological origin as possible. The structure and components of the ecosystem under study were the focus of attention, while their functioning was considered to be of secondary importance This approach determined the use of appropriate research methods, which permitted collection of the maximum possible information on the structure of each area within the relatively brief time spent on its investigation. Obviously the most practical approaches in terms of time expended are the purely descriptive methods of geography