There is a dramatic global decline in coral reef ecosystems, in particular, those close to human populations and therefore stressed by such human activities as over fishing, sedimentation, marine pollution from land-based sources, and recreational damage. Global Climate Change may directly impose new stresses on reefs, or it may interact synergistically with other more direct human pressures to cause new or accelerated environmental change.
A Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) has been launched to improve management and sustainable conservation of coral reefs by assessing the status and trends in the reefs and how people use and value the resources. It will do this by providing many people with the capacity to assess their own resources, within a global network, and to spread the word on reef status and trends. The GCRMN goals are to:
The methods for reef monitoring have been chosen so that high school children, fisherfolk and community groups can gather valid data to feed into the global network database, along with more rigorous assessments carried out by scientists.
The major theme of the GCRMN is to combine current science and management experience and skills on coral reefs and make these available to reef user communities. In this way, we want to build partnerships to improve reef management and put the emphasis on guardianship by local communities.
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, United Nations Environment Programme, and World Conservation Union/IUCN are co-sponsoring GCRMN, which is hosted jointly by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and the International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management (ICLARM).
BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS
Can be found on at: NOAA's Coral Reef Home Page
Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network: Gathering information for the protection of coral reefs worldwide. Click on Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network home page.
State of the Reefs: Regional and Global Perspectives: An International Coral Reef Initiative Executive Secretariat Background Paper, May 1995
Additional resources available from:
Matt Stout
Office of Public Affairs
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Room 6013
Department of Commerce
14th and Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington D.C. 20310
email: coralreef@www.rdc.noaa.gov
Experts:
Dr. Clive Wilkinson, Coordinator
Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network
c/o Australian Institute of Marine Science
PMB No.3, Townsville MC 4810
Australia
tel: 61 77 534 372 or 61 77 724 314
fax: 61 77 722 808 or 61 77 725 852
email: c.wilkinson@aims.gov.au
Dr. John McManus
ReefBase Project Leader
International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management,
MCPO Box 2631
0718 Makati, Metro Manila
Philippines
tel: 63 2 818 0466 or 63 2 817 5255
fax: 63 2 816 3183
email: j.mcmanus@cgnet.com
Dr. Mark Eakin
Program Officer
Office of Global Programs
NOAA
Suite 1210
1100 Wayne Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910
tel: 301-427-2089 x19
fax: 301-472-2073
email: Eakin@ogp.noaa.gov
He is a coral reef ecologist and member of the Scientific Technical Advisory Committee of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network
Professor Bernard Salvat
Centre de Biologie et d'Ecologie Tropicale et Mediterraneenne
Universite de Perpignan, 52 Av. de Villeneuve, F-66860 - PERPIGNAN CEDEX
tel.: +33 4 68 66 20 55
fax: +33 4 68 50 36 86
e-mail: pol@univ-perp.fr
Professor Salvat heads France coral reef research, directs the Research
Station in Moorea, French Polynesia chairs the Scientific Technical Advisory Committee of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network and is a senior advisor to the French Government