ReefBase :: News & Updates

Coral Triangle Atlas Beta Version is launched

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:22:52 GMT

The Coral Triangle Atlas (CT Atlas) is an online GIS database, providing governments, NGOs and researchers with a view of spatial data at the regional scale of Coral Triangle region. Data on fisheries, biodiversity, natural resources, and socioeconomics have been collected for decades by scientists and managers working in different parts of the Coral Triangle region.The CT Atlas can be a tool to improve the efficiency of management and conservation planning in the region by giving researchers and managers access to spatial information while encouraging them to share their data to complete the gaps, therefore reducing duplicate data collection efforts and providing the most complete and most current data available and particularly useful in the design and planning of MPAs and MPA Networks throughout the region. The updated and new launched CT Atlas has improved features include

• Easier Home Page navigation.

• A new Forum page dedicate to help GIS practitioners and managers to come together and answer questions or exchange ideas on spatial planning in the Coral Triangle.

• A new CT Database interface which easier for users to find layers they would like to download or visualize on the online GIS interface.

• New features in the Online GIS Interface. The GIS interface has been re-organized with new categories to match the CT Database and new layers have been added. New features such as creation of polygons have been added according to user’s demand.

To get more detail on the CT Atlas website please click to this link

http://ctatlas.reefbase.org

The 2nd Coral Reef Management Symposium on Coral Triangle Areas

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 18:43:55 GMT

The Coral Triangle Area, consisting of the waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Brunei, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu and Timor-Leste is recognized, not only as the center of world marine biodiversity, but also as the most important refuge for the world’s marine life. The region is home to more than 500 species of corals and 3,000 species of reef fishes. Most importantly, this area supports more than 200 million people.

Indonesia is located at the heart of the "The Coral Triangle" and has the largest coral reef area of any country in the world. Unfortunately, human activities have placed substantial pressures on these fragile ecosystems and have caused serious coral reef degradation, mostly through destructive fishing, overfishing, global warming, coral mining, pollution, sedimentation and nutrient depletion. As a result, only around 6 percent of the coral reefs in the country remain in very good condition.

The 2009 Manado Ocean Declaration and CTI Leaders Declaration on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security stressed the need for national strategies for sustainable management of coastal and marine ecosystems that deliver valuable goods and services and that have significant potential for addressing the adverse effects of climate change. The negotiations at Manado were contentious and focused on the environment and its relationship to national economies. The balancing of interests between economic development and natural conservation is very challenging; and requires the appropriate guidance of science, technology, and management.

The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, through the Coral Reef Rehabilitation and Management Program Phase II (COREMAP II), in conjunction with "Sail Wakatobi-Belitung 2011", will conduct an international symposium to discuss the abovementioned challenges on 28-30 September 2011. The symposium will bring together policy makers, scientists, NGOs and the private sector to identify solutions for coral reef issues; and be in tangent with the theme "Coral Reefs: Global Threats and Opportunities".

Detail information on the event please go to the event website:

The 2nd Coral Reef Management Symposium on Coral Triangle Areas

1st anniversary SocMonitor issue

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:43:52 GMT

SocMonitor is an electronic bulletin about the Global Socio-economic Monitoring Initiative developed by Maria Pena and Christy Loper to update everyone on what is happending with socio-economic monitoring through the SocMon and SEM-Pasifika initiatives. The issues of the SocMonitor was available for access through SocMon website at publication page.

Catchment Management and Coral Reef Conservation

Thu, 26 May 2011 18:21:49 GMT

Catchment Management and Coral reef Conservation: A practical guide for coastal resource managers to reduce damage from catchment areas based on best practice case studies. By Clive Wilkinson and Jon Brodie was released at the International Marine Conservation Congress in Victoria BC Canada on 16 May. The book aims to assist coastal resource managers deal with the problems arriving at the coast from rivers and streams. To date there has been no guide book for managers. The stimulus was that many coral reef managers reported on problems of sediment, nutrient, pesticide and litter pollution damaging their reefs and they did not know where to start

This 112 page book is an ideal training manual for catchment (watershed) management capacity building. It is based on 33 case studies of best practice catchment management from 70 authors and 22 countries from Brazil to Thailand. These case studies were used to develop 11 Major Recommendations in which there are 47 specific action suggestions. The case studies discuss how managers have tackled the major threats: sediments, nutrients, heavy metals, pesticides and litter; and also how to put climate change threats within this framework.

The suggestion for this book came from Dr. Veerle Vandeweerd who was the Director of the GPA office (Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities of UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme). Funding support came from ICRI members, especially from Department of State and National Atmospheric and Oceanographic Administration of the USA; UNEP; IUCN; ICRAN; IOC-UNESCO; and CRISP. Additional funding support came from James Cook University, Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC), Wildlife Conservation Society and the Townsville City Council.

This book is produced as a contribution to the International Coral Reef Initiative by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network and James Cook University Catchment to Reef Research Group, with the aim of conserving coral reefs for the future benefits of the world. Copies are free from the GCRMN or through some ICRI Partners around the world.

This publication can be downloaded from GCRMN and ReefBase websites.

SocMonitor's April 2011 newsletter is released

Fri, 06 May 2011 00:06:55 GMT

Coral Reef Habitat Map was released

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 22:12:24 GMT

The “Coral Reef Habitat Map” project is an initiative of the Ministry of the Environment, Japan in collaboration with the ReefBase project. The map was developed to provide a useful tool to conserve and manage coral reefs and related ecosystems in the Asian and Oceanian regions (i.e., North East Asia, South East Asia, Micronesia and Melanesia). This satellite based GIS　map shows the distribution of coral reefs and related ecosystems in these regions. The latest distribution of live corals, seaweed/seagrass and other benthic features have been analyzed using the satellite images and are now available to the general public via the Internet. The data can be viewed at the Coral Reef Habitat Map website (http://coralmap.coremoc.go.jp/sangomap_eng/) and will also be available on ReefBase soon.

The Coral Reef MPAs of East Asia and Micronesia website

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 23:45:19 GMT

The “Coral Reef MPAs of East Asia and Micronesia” is a collaboration project between the Japan Wildlife Research Center (JWRC) and The WorldFish Center (ReefBase Project), funded by the Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MoE). The initial dataset was provided by the UNEP-WCMC through the MPA Global database project (currently merged into the World Database on Protected Areas) and the updated data were provided by various country partners in East Asia and Micronesia regions. This database was first developed in 2005-2007 as part of the Japan-Palau ICRI secretariat Plan of Action for 2005 -2007 which updated the MPA Global database with 313 new coral reef MPAs data and linked with the spatial and other data on ReefBase. The database was subsequently upgraded on ReefBase during 2008-2010. This 2nd phase of the project aimed to strengthen the usability of the database for MPA planning and management by further updating the MPA data, improving the GIS (Geographic Information System), adding analytical functions, and providing an online/offline updating system, so that the countries could have their own virtual MPA database on their website. 950 MPAs have been added since the database was first launched in 2007. Other features on this websites include publication and case studies related to MPAs in the regions. For more detail on the website please click on the link: http://mpa.reefbase.org

Reefs at Risk Revisited Report

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:57:18 GMT

A new comprehensive analysis finds that 75 percent of the world’s coral reefs are currently threatened by local and global pressures. For the first time, the analysis includes threats from climate change, including warming seas and rising ocean acidification. The report shows that local pressures— such as overfishing, coastal development, and pollution— pose the most immediate and direct risks, threatening more than 60 percent of coral reefs today. “Reefs at Risk Revisited,” the most detailed assessment of threats to coral reefs ever undertaken, is being released by the World Resources Institute, along with the Nature Conservancy, the WorldFish Center, the International Coral Reef Action Network, Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, and the UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Center, along with a network of more than 25 organizations. Launch activities are taking place in Washington, D.C., London, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Caribbean, Australia, and other locations around the world.

“This report serves as a wake-up call for policy-makers, business leaders, ocean managers, and others about the urgent need for greater protection for coral reefs,” said Dr. Jane Lubchenco, under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “As the report makes clear, local and global threats, including climate change, are already having significant impacts on coral reefs, putting the future of these beautiful and valuable ecosystems at risk.” Local pressures – especially overfishing and destructive fishing – are causing many reefs to be degraded. Global pressures are leading to coral bleaching from rising sea temperatures and increasing ocean acidification from carbon dioxide pollution. According to the new analysis, if left unchecked, more than 90 percent of reefs will be threatened by 2030 and nearly all reefs will be at risk by 2050. “Coral reefs are valuable resources for millions of people worldwide. Despite the dire situation for many reefs, there is reason for hope,” said Lauretta Burke, senior associate at WRI and a lead author of the report. “Reefs are resilient, and by reducing the local pressures we can buy time as we find global solutions to preserve reefs for future generations.

The Reefs at Risk Revisited Launch is scheduled for February 23, 2011

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 18:16:01 GMT

On February 23, 2011, the World Resources Institute and more than 25 partners will be launching Reefs at Risk Revisited, a new comprehensive analysis of the threats to coral reefs. The release will take place globally, with launch activities in Washington, D.C.; London, England; Malaysia; Australia; and other locations.

The groundbreaking report, “Reefs at Risk Revisited,” is the most detailed assessment of threats to coral reefs ever undertaken. Led by the World Resources Institute, along with the Nature Conservancy, The WorldFish Center, the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN), UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Network (UNEP-WCMC), and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), it maps out local and global pressures on reefs; assesses the vulnerability of people in reef-dependent countries; and provides recommendations to safeguard reefs in the future.

Resources— including the report, fact sheets, maps, downloadable data, a video, and other tools— will be available at www.wri.org/reefs.

If you would like more information or a copy of the report, please contact: Lauretta Burke (lauretta@wri.org) or Ben Kushner (bkushner@wri.org).

Reef Resilience Training and Capacity Building Program

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 22:09:30 GMT

The Nature Conservancy, in partnership with NOAA, and with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, will offer a Workshop for Trainers from throughout the Western Pacific to learn about building resilience into reef management and the tools available for addressing the impacts of climate change. The meeting will bring together managers/trainers from throughout the Western Pacific to learn and share ideas that will lead to more effective long-term coral reef management. The workshop is designed to provide an atmosphere of exchange and creative problem solving so that participants leave with a specific training plan for their locale. Resources recently developed through major international collaborations will be highlighted and distributed to participants (e.g., Resilience Toolkit, Reef Managers Guide to Bleaching). The workshop will be facilitated by regional and global experts in coral reef management.

Objectives of the Workshop

The Training of Trainers workshop is designed to broaden the scope and effectiveness of the Reef Resilience Partnership and Network and build capacity among reef managers to better address the impacts of climate change. After completion, participants in the workshop will be able to provide support and information to other coral reef managers working within their region, acting as critical “nodes” within the Resilience Practitioners Network, enhancing linkages among managers within a region. Participants will come away from the workshop well equipped with the training curriculum and related resources; they will also receive ongoing updates and new resources as they are available.

Participants will be selected through a competitive application process. Individuals will be selected in pairs from each attending country or state when possible so that they can work together after the workshop to support reef managers in their area.

Information about the workshop:

Workshop date : 3rd - 7th June 2011
Location : Koror, Palau

The target audience for this workshop is marine protected area and coral reef managers and trainers from throughout the Western Pacific. Space is limited to 25 participants for this workshop and selection is competitive.

Further information about the workshop is available at:

http://www.reefresilience.org/Training_of_Trainers.html