January 13, - Week 2
1997 International Year of the Reef

Coral reefs are in serious decline globally, especially those near shallow shelves and dense populations. It has been estimated that 10 per cent of the earth's coral reefs have already been seriously degraded. Unless effective integrated coastal area management is implemented, most of the world's coral reefs and associated biota will be lost during the next century.

Coral reef ecosystems at greatest risk are in South and Southeast Asia, East Africa, and the Caribbean. However, people have damaged or destroyed reefs in more than 93 countries.

The major causes of reef ecosystem decline include: overexploitation (e.g., over fishing); excessive domestic and agricultural pollution; and poor land use practices, e.g., activities that increase sedimentation.

Many countries have endorsed a Framework for Action under the International Coral Reef Initiative to focus attention and activities on improving the management of coral reefs. A Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network and associated data base, have been initiative to obtain and disseminate information on coral reef status. The 1997 International Year of the Reef is expected to improve public awareness of the importance of coral reefs and the threats to their viability.

BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS
State of the Reefs: Regional and Global Perspectives: An International Coral Reef Initiative Executive Secretariat Background Paper, May 1995

International Coral Reef Initiative Report to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development

Coral Reef Status Around The World: Where Are We and Where Do We Go From Here?
C.M. Eakin, J.W. McManus, M.D. Spalding, S.C. Jameson,

Documents of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) are available at: Coral Health and Monitoring Program (CHAMP)
In addition, ICRI regional reports are available by fax.

Additional resouces available from:
Matt Stout
Office of Public Affairs
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Room 6013
U.S. Department of Commerce
14th St. and Constitution Avenue, N.W.,
Washington D.C. 20230
Tel: 202-482-6090
Fax: 202-482-3154
email: coralreef@www.rdc.noaa.gov

EXPERTS: (further assistance in identifying experts is available upon request)

Dr. John W. McManus
International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management
205 Salcedo St.
Legaspi Village
0718 Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
tel: 632-817-5255/818-0466
fax: 632-816-33183
email: J.MCMANUS@CGNET.COM
Dr. McManus is an author of the above background document and is the ICLARM Project Leader for REEFBASE

Dr. Richard Kenchington
Senior Director
External Services Section
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
P.O. Box 791
Canberra, A.C.T. 2601 Australia
tel: 61-6-247-0211
fax: 61-6-247-5761
email: r.kenchington@gbrmpa.gov.au
Dr. Kenchington is the Coordinator of the Secretariat of the International Coral Reef Initiative.

Dr. John C. Ogden
Director
Florida Institute of Oceanography
830 First St., South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
tel: 813-893-9100
fax: 813-893-9109
email: None
Dr. Ogden is President of the International Society for Coral Reef Studies.

Dr. Robert Ginsburg
University Of Miami/RSMAS
4600 Rickenbacker Causeway
Miami, Florida 33149 USA
tel: 305-361-4875
fax: 305-361-4094
email: rginsburg@rsmas.miami.edu
He is the chairperson of the International Year of the Reef Organising Committee

Clive Wilkinson, Coordinator,
Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network
c/o Australian Institute of Marine Science
PMB No. 3, Townsville MC, 4810, Australia
Phone 61 77 724314 or 534372
Fax: 61 77 722 808 or 725 852
email: C.Wilkinson@pearl.aims.gov.AU
The GCRMN is co-sponsored by IOC-UNEP-IUCN under the umbrella of the International Coral Reef Initiative. There will be GCRMN pilot scale projects timed to provide data for the IYOR

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

SOME REGIONAL EXPERTS:

AMERICAS
Dr. Jeremy D. Woodley
Director
Center for Marine Sciences
University of the West Indes (Mona)
Kingston 7 Jamaica, West Indies
tel: 809-927-1609
fax: 809-977-1033
email: woodley@uwimona.edu.jm
Director of the CARICOMP Data Management Center and author of the Regional ICRI Report on Tropical Americas

Dr. Jorge Cortes
CIMAR
Universidad de Costa Rica
San Pedro, Costa Rica
tel: (506)207-5087, (506) 224-3710
fax: (506) 224-3710
email: jcortes@cariari.ucr.ac.cr
Presented a paper on the status of coral reefs in Central America and the Caribbean at 8th Coral Reef International Symposium, June 1996, Panama

Dr. Michael P. Crosby
National Research Coordinator
Ocean and Coastal Resource Management
NOAA, SSMC-4, Rm 11437
1305 East West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910
phone: 301-713-3155, ext. 114
fax: 301-713-4012
Internet: mcrosby@coasts.nos.noaa.gov
He is the co-chair of the U.S. Coral Reef Initiative.

SOUTH PACIFIC

Lucille Apis-Overhoff
Wetlands and Mangrove Officer
South Pacific Environment Programme
P.O. Box 240
Apia, Western Samoa
tel: 685- 21 929
fax: 685- 20 231
email: lucille@pactok.peg.apc.org or SPREP@talofa.net
She is the Coordinator for the Pacific Year of the Coral Reef.

Noah Idechong
Palau Conservation Society
P.O. Box 1811, Koror, Palau, 96940
Tel: 680 488 3993
Fax: 680 488 3990

Dr. Andrew Smith
Coastal and Marine Scientist
Asia/Pacific Coastal and Marine Program
P.O. Box 1738, Koror Palau 96940
Tel/fax: 680 2017
Email: Andrew_smith@tnc.org

Dr. Clive Wilkinson (see above)

Jim Maragos
Senior Fellow - Program on Environment
East West Center
1601 East-West Road
Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. 96848-1601
tel: 808 944 7271
fax: 808 944 7298
e-mail: hoj@ewc.hawaii.edu
He specializes in tropical Pacific corals and reefs, especially development of parks, environmental impact assessment and coastal zone management.

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's coral reef research, directs the Research Station in Moorea, French Polynesia and is a senior advisor to the Government.

SOUTH ASIA

Dr. Barbara Brown
University of Newcastle
Department of Marine Sciences and Coastal Management
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 7RU United Kingdom
tel: 44 1833 640716
fax: same
email: 101515.1267@compuserve.com
She conducted extensive research in south Asia. She is professor of tropical marine biology at the University of Newcastle

INDIAN OCEAN

Dr Ian Dight
Coordinator, Aquatic Biodiversity
Water Branch
UNEP
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: 254 2 622022
Fax: 622788
email: ian.dight@unep.org

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