What Prognosis for Reefs?
The global situation regarding these diverse and valuable marine ecosystems is dire, but hope is not lost. With 2008 being the International Year of the Reef, we can expect greater public attention to the problems, greater support for conservation, and greater political will to tackle the many stressors that coral reefs face. Let’s hope it’s not too late to stem the tide of reef degradation, for the world will be a significantly poorer place if coral reefs continue to disappear from the world’s ocean waters.
Useful on-line resources:
The International
Year of the Reef (IYOR) 2008
The ICRI Electronic
Partnership Forum (ICRIForum) serves as a central gateway to information related to the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) and sustainable coral reef management, conservation, science, information and awareness, and to strengthen communication among the partners supporting the ICRI mission.
The
Coral Reef Targeted Research & Capacity Building
for Management Program (CRTR) is a leading international coral reef research initiative that provides a coordinated approach to credible, factual and scientifically-proven knowledge for improved coral reef management.
ReefBase mission is to improve sharing and use of data, information, and knowledge in support of research and management of coral reef resources .
CORAL Reef Alliance is a non-profit organization, dedicated to protecting the health of coral reefs by integrating ecosystem management, sustainable tourism, and community partnerships.
The Global Coral Reef
Monitoring Network (GCRMN) works hard to improve management and conservation of coral reefs by providing manuals, equipment, databases, training, problem solving, and helps with finding funds for reef monitoring - all coordinated in a global network.
The
Coral Reef Initiatives for the South Pacific (CRISP)
The Mesoamerican Barrier
Reef System Project purpose is to enhance protection of the unique and vulnerable marine ecosystems comprising the MBRS, and to assist the countries of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras to strengthen and coordinate regional policies, regulations, and institutional arrangements for the conservation and sustainable use of this global public good.
The Reef Check Foundation is an international non-profit organization dedicated to conservation of two ecosystems: tropical coral reefs and California rocky reefs.
Endnotes
1 Hoegh-Guldberg, O. et al., (2007) Coral Reefs under Rapid Climate Change and Ocean Acidification, Science Magazine, AAAS.
2 www.maweb.org
3 Spalding MD, Ravilious C, Green EP (2001) World Atlas of Coral Reefs. University of California Press, Berkeley, USA.
4 UNEP-WCMC (2006) In the front line: shoreline protection and other ecosystem services from mangroves and coral reefs. UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge UK. 33pp (available online at http://www.unep-wcmc.org/resources/publications/UNEP_WCMC_bio_series/24.cfm)
5 Status of coral reefs of the world: 2004, Edited by Clive Wilkinson
6 UNEP: People and reefs: successes and challenges in the management of coral reef marine protected areas. UNEP Regional Seas Reports and Studies No. 176. UNEP 2004.
7 Coral Reef Protected Areas in International Instruments. Bernard Salvat, Jessica Haapkylä and Muriel Schrimm
8 Barnes and Hughes. 1999. An Introduction to Marine Ecology; Third edition. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Science Ltd. pp. 117-141.
9 Glynn PW (1984) Widespread coral mortality and the 1982-83 El Nino warming event. Environmental Conservation 11(2): 133-146.
10 Bryant, D., L. Burke, J. McManus, and M. Spalding. 1998. Reefs at Risk: A Map-based Indicator of Threats to the World’s Coral Reefs. World Resources Institute. 56 pp. http://www.wri.org/wri/reefsatrisk/.
11 www.coris.noaa.gov/activities/actionstrategy/04_goal_12.pdf
12 Conventions and Coral Reefs. Fourteen Multilateral Environmental Agreements, Programmes,
Partnerships and Networks Relevant to the Protection and Conservation of Coral Reefs and the World Summit on Sustainable Development Plan of Implementation. Produced by the UNEP Coral Reef Unit in collaboration with the WWF Coral Reefs Advocacy Initiative.
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