Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2000

Sponsoring Organisations, Coral Reef Programmes and Monitoring Networks
IUCN-THE WORLD CONSERVATION UNION
Founded in 1948, IUCN brings together States, government agencies and a diverse range of
non-governmental organisations in a unique world partnership: over 900 members in all
spread across nearly 140 countries. As a Union, IUCN seeks to influence, encourage and
assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to
ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.
Through its network of regional and country offices, expert Commissions and member
organisations, and Marine Program, IUCN supports a variety of coral reef conservation and
management efforts that promote: protection of critical habitats and threatened species;
design of management plans with stakeholder participation; development of ecological
and socioeconomic assessment methodologies; enhanced capacity building for
sustainable management; and support of effective governance structures. IUCN is an
original partner of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) and a founding co-sponsor of
the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN).
Tel: +1 202 387 4826; Fax: +1 202 387 4823
E-mail: oceans@iucn.org; Web site: www.iucn.org
REEF CHECK
Reef Check was designed to meet the need for a simple, rapid monitoring protocol that
could be used to measure the health of coral reefs globally. Since 1997, over 1000 reefs in
more than 50 countries have been surveyed with results documenting the global extent of
overfishing, and the bleaching and mortality event of 1998. There are 3 principal goals:
education, monitoring and management. The education is achieved by training government
staff, volunteers and NGOs in coral reef monitoring. These people are encouraged to
monitor reefs they visit each year to provide data for the annual global report and to assist
management. In addition, Reef Check organises publicity events such as press conferences,
beach clean-ups and group dive-ins to focus attention on the plight of coral reefs. Reef
Check methods are designed to be carried out by teams of experienced recreational
divers, snorkelers, or even village fishermen, lead by a scientists to produce statistically
comparable results. Training requires only 1 day or less and surveys are conducted over 1
day as data are based on counting key indicator species, rather than measuring organisms.
Contact: Gregor Hodgson, Reef Check Foundation, Institute of the Environment, 1652
Hershey Hall, Box 149607
University of California at Los Angeles, CA 90095-1496 USA; www.ReefCheck.org;
rcheck@ucla.edu
REEFS AT RISK IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
The World Resources Institute, in collaboration with regional partners, is currently analysing
and consolidating data on threats to coral reefs in Southeast Asia, as a more detailed
regional project following the global Reefs at Risk analysis completed in 1998. Reefs at Risk
in Southeast Asia (RRSEA), aims to compensate for the lack of detailed information on the
status of coral reefs, and has four primary goals:
• Improve the base of information available for examining the threats, status, value,
and protection of coral reefs within Southeast Asia, through collecting, revising
and integrating information;
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