The shorefishes of Ouvea, an isolated atoll in the Loyalty Islands group of New Caledonia, had not been surveyed prior to 1990. An extensive survey was conducted by ORSTOM between 1991 and 1992 to obtain baseline information on the shorefishes. A
total of 653 taxa among 72 families are now documented from this area. The most diverse families are the Labridae (69 species), Pomacentridae (58 species), Gobiidae (54 spccies),Serranidae (39 species), Chaetodontidae (31 species) and Apogonidae (28
Mangaia is the only inhabited island in the Southern Cooks where our data show the ra’ui system of traditional marine resources management is actively functioning and allowing species to recover between harvests. This is an accomplishment that should give the local resource managers (Mangaia Island Council and Traditional Leaders) great pride. Furthermore, the willingness to adopt new management strategies (e.g. by initiating permanent ra’ui sites) shows a continued drive to enhance ecosystem health for the benefit of nearshore species and local communities.