Pacific Security Shock: China’s nuclear-capable submarine-launched ballistic missile test over the Pacific drew fast regional backlash, with leaders warning it’s destabilising as Typhoon Bavi hit the Marianas and allies debate stronger deterrence. Climate & Funding Gap: Pacific Elders Voice says the U.S. Blue Pacific Partnership Declaration misses the mark by not treating climate change as the region’s biggest security threat, calling the pledged funding too small. French Polynesia Research Link: A France 2030 project will use 10 autonomous gliders to build a marine data atlas for the northwestern Mediterranean and French Polynesia, aiming to track biodiversity and ocean change under pressures like acidification and climate impacts. Local Ocean Stewardship: Cook Islands fisheries officers took part in back-to-back regional maritime surveillance and training, inspecting vessels and reinforcing shark protection and waste-management rules. Wayfinding & Drought History: A Southampton-led study ties Polynesian eastward migration to a mega-drought and shifting rainfall, including evidence from mud samples across Samoa, Tonga, French Polynesia and the Cook Islands. Wildlife Spotlight: Ocean Conservancy’s photo contest crowned a walrus-nursing image, highlighting marine life and the need for ocean care.