Burdened by rising fuel import costs and an "ocean crisis" of record-breaking heat, Pacific island nations are seeking to build support for a new regional fund ahead of COP31, intended to channel investment into renewable energy, community resilience and ocean protection, experts said.Leaders from the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), including Australia and New Zealand, are expected to issue a call for global pledges to the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) at a high-level meeting this coming week in Palau, seeking to build a new model for financing climate action.The new regional fund was formally launched in May this year and is meant to "serve communities at a community level", swiftly channelling investments for their projects on the ground, according to Fiji's assistant minister for foreign affairs, Lenora Qereqeretabua.