Charapoana Passage is located in the New Georgia Islands of the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. This area is a channel, between Uepi Island and Charapoana Island, that connects the Marovo Lagoon with the Solomon Sea. This area plays a crucial role in the marine environment around Uepi Island and Charapoana Island, allowing ocean water to flow into the lagoon (Diveplanit Travel 2024). Marovo Lagoon is the largest (700 km²) double-barrier enclosed lagoon in the world (UNESCO 2024). Inside the lagoon there are pinnacle reefs dominated by branching corals (Carlton et al. 2020). Uepi and Charapoana are barrier reef islands located between the Marovo Lagoon and the New Georgia Sound, also known as ‘The Slot’, a deep marine abyss that reaches depths of 1,800 m. The islands are outlined by fringing reefs, sheltered coral gardens, ledges, sandy beaches, and steep walls that drop into The Slot (Diveplanit Travel 2024). This area is primarily influenced by tidal currents, which can be strong and variable due to the narrowness of the channel and its connection to the surrounding lagoon and open sea. Tidal movements between these two water bodies can create strong currents that can flow in either direction, depending on the tidal phase.

Most of Solomon Islands is located within the West Pacific Warm Pool and is influenced by the South Pacific Convergence Zone, Intertropical Convergence Zone, and the West Pacific Monsoon (Jupiter et al. 2019). Its oceanographic setting is dominated during austral winter months (June–August) by prevailing southeasterly trade winds that drive major ocean currents to northwest along the southern part of the chain and to the west in the northern part of the archipelago (Salinger et al. 1995). During summer months (December–March), the directionality of ocean currents is more variable (Jupiter et al. 2019).

This Important Shark and Ray Area is benthopelagic and is delineated from inshore and surface waters (0 m) to 50 m based on the bathymetry of the area.