IYOR Update

[GreenLife Society]

IYOR looks like it's going to be a fantastic program, avoiding the 
do-nothing approach of some past "year of" campaigns, which has engendered 
cynicism about the efficacy of such campaigns in the past few years. 
However, distressfully absent so far are any outreach efforts in the Middle 
East, the site of some of the most important coral reef ecosystems from the 
perspective of biodiversity and degree of threat.  Hopefully, cooperation 
between IYOR participants and NGOs/governments/academic institutions in the 
region will be developed pursuant to the campaign. 




At 08:54 PM 8/9/96 -0400, CoralReefA at aol.com wrote: 
>Dear IYOR and Coral List Participants 
> 
>This is an update about the International Year of the Reef (IYOR) 
>It is divided into several categories: 
>1. Background on IYOR and Frequently Asked Questions 
>2. Brief description of formal launch of IYOR at the Panama ISRS Symposium 
>3. Coming Events (by country/region) and Resources 
>4.  Contact addresses for further infromation. 
>As always, we encourage (constructive) comments, revisions etc.  Please 
>remember to use the listserver only if you message is of general interest 
>(otherwise send indivdual messages). 
>Thanks for your interest in IYOR. 
>All the best, 
>Sue Wells 
>Robert Ginsburg 
>Vanessa Guest 
>Stephen Colwell 
>  
>            NEWS OF THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE REEF, 1997 
> 
>For those not familiar with the goals of IYOR, this is a major effort in 
>capacity building for reef management, outreach and education, research on 
>reef degradation and its causes, assessment of reef condition and 
>sustainable reef management.  It will provide a global context for national 
>and regional efforts and will promote collaboration between organisations 
>and programmes with common interests, providing an umbrella for a wide 
>variety of reef-related activities in research, education, management, 
>tourism etc.   
>  
>IYOR is not a top-down organisation with a large central office; it is 
>instead  a grass-roots effort with emphasis on regional and local 
>initiatives, and 
>is relying on individuals and groups to achieve its aims.  Groups are 
>encouraged to establish their own committees and develop initiatives 
>appropriate to their locations. IYOR groups have been formed or are being 
>formed in several parts of the world already (see below).  Suggestions for 
>organizing a committee appear in the current issue of Reef Encounter.   
> 
>Updates on IYOR activities will be provided from time to time on relevant 
>List Servers.  At this time, IYOR does not have a full-time resource person 
>to answer all inquiries, but our volunteer leaders will do their best to 
>answer questions and provide advice.  Most of us will be away for extended 
>periods during August and thus there will be delays in responding.  The 
>IYOR Web page is being updated and hotlinks to other relevant Web pages are 
>being created; contact Stephen Colwell for further information (address 
>below). 
> 
>           FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF IYOR IN PANAMA 
> 
>IYOR was formally announced at the 8th International Coral Reef Symposium 
>in Panama, at the end of June this year.  Almost all of the 1400 
>participants,from numerous countries, including most of the world's leading 
>reef scientists signed the IYOR Pledge of support for conservation, 
>education and assessments of reef condition.   
> 
>An IYOR booth attracted continuous attention throughout the meeting, and  
>distributed a range of materials.  A press event attracted television 
>stations, magazines and newspapers and IYOR received good coverage in Latin 
>America and the Caribbean.  Copies of the press release are available from 
>Stephen Colwell.  The handsome IYOR logo designed by the Scripps Institute 
>was a big hit with participants as it appeared on buttons and a T-shirt. 
>Organisations wishing to use the logo in connection with IYOR activities 
>should ask for an application form from one of the people listed below.  An 
>English leaflet on IYOR has been produced and is being distributed. Further 
>print-runs in other languages, as well as country- and region-specific 
>versions, are being planned. 
> 
>IYOR was designated a sanctioned activity of the International Coral Reef 
>Initiative (ICRI) and assigned responsibility for public awareness of the 
>Initiative's 1997 Program.  
> 
>The all-day IYOR Symposium on rapid assessments of benthos and fishes and 
>various impacts was well received.  Some 20 researchers from around the 
>Western Atlantic met during the symposium and enthusiastically endorsed the 
>idea of assessing the condition of reefs remote from centres of population. 
> Information on this inititiative, termed WARRS (Western Atlantic Remote 
>Reef Survey) will be 
>posted on the Coral List Server. 
> 
>Two meetings of those interested in education were well attended and the 
>participants voiced strong support for developing a clearing house with 
>information on all available teaching aids (see below). 
> 
>IYOR-related activities also promoted at Panama included: 
> 
>ReefBase, the global database on coral reefs, now available from ICLARM on 
>CD-Rom together with a comprehensive manual.  For information contact John 
>McManus, J.MCMANUS at CGNET.COM 
> 
>The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCMRN) was launched and is 
>developing plans for a network of  monitoring sites worldwide.  Information 
>brochure available from Clive Wilkinson: C.Wilkinson at pearl.aims.gov.au  
> 
>A poster map of the world's coral reef and mangroves, prepared by the World 
>Conservation Monitoring Centre, is available in English or Spanish from 
>Alastair Grenfell: a.grenfell at wcmc.org.uk 
> 
>                        COMING EVENTS: 
> 
>INTERNATIONAL 
> 
>October,1996 Montreal:   A special session on IYOR, ICRI and coral reefs is 
>being organized at the World Conservation Congress by IUCN - The World 
>Conservation Union.  Further information from Paul Holthus, IUCN Marine 
>Program, e-mail: PFH at HQ.iucn.ch 
> 
>PACIFIC: 
> 
>The Pacific Year of the Reef (PYOR) will be launched on 11 February 1997.  
>It is being led by the South Pacific Regional Environmental Program and to 
>date 17 countries are participating; others are expected to join.  The PYOR 
>slogan is "Coral Reefs: Their Health, Our Wealth".  National campaign plans 
>are being developed.  An artwork competition is being held to design a 
>logo, the deadline for entries being 1 October 1996.  Plans are also being 
>made to produce a video for the campaign.  Further information from Lucille 
>Overhoff e-mail: 
>lucille at pactok.peg.apc.org 
> 
>The 8th Pacific Science Association's Intercongrress to be held in Fiji 
>July 13-19,1997 will feature a full report on the status of coral reefs in 
>the Pacific and the results of resurveys of reefs after some decades, both 
>of which are central themes ofIYOR   Additional papers on IYOR themes are 
>being solicited.  For information contact Dr. Charles Birkeland, UOG Marine 
>Laboratory, Mangilao, Guam 36923 birkelan at uog9.uog.edu or Dr. Richard W. 
>Grigg, Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii at Mana, 1000 Pope 
>Rd. Honolulu, Hawii, 96822  rgrigg at soest.hawaii.edu 
> 
>UNITED STATES 
>A wide variety of projects have been planned by government and 
>non-governmental particpants in IYOR.  A recent meeting sponsored by NOAA and 
>the AZA in Washington DC explored common themes for IYOR and allowed 
>networking of many of the interested groups.  A summary of that meeting will 
>be made available over the IYOR listserv when it is edited by NOAA.  These 
>are a few of the events currently planned.   
> 
>Please describe your own plans on the IYOR listserv so that they can be added 
>to the calendar of events that will be displayed on the IYOR Web Site: 
> www.coral.org/iyor/ 
> 
>September 1996: Hawaii launch: How zoos and aquariums can best participate in 
>IYOR will be discussed at the AZA Annual meeting, sponsored by the Waikiki 
>Aquarium.  A preview of the IYOR Coral Reef Photography Exhibition - 
>organized by CORAL - will be presented at the Waikiki Aquarium. 
> 
>November 1996: Press Club - background briefing for science writers.  IYOR 
>activities will be highlighted and information on the need for coral reef 
>conservation will be distributed to correspondents from major newspapers, 
>magazines and television stations to prepare them for IYOR; sponsored by NOAA 
>and Baltimore Aquarium 
> 
>January 1997;  Inauguration of IYOR with a Gala (plans underway in Miami and 
>San Francisco - other sites encouraged) 
> 
>January 1997: The IYOR them will be included at the DEMA dive show, in 
>Orlando Florida 
> 
>1996/97: ongoing activities at National Aquarium, Baltimore; information 
>from Chris Andrews e-mail: candrews at clark.net 
> 
>Other Aquariums: a number of aquariums are focusing on coral reef education 
>and conservation during IYOR.  Individual aquariums (and zoos) are invited to 
>discuss their plans on the IYOR listserv. 
> 
>Color calendar for 1997 IYORproduced by CORAL (Coral Reef Alliance) is 
>available for immediate distribution; information on 
>availability from Stephen Colwell address below. 
> 
>IYOR Coral Reef Photography Exhibition - a collection of underwater 
>photographs by the world's top underwater photographers - will travel to 
>major zoos and aquariums throughout 1997-98 - organized by CORAL  
> 
>Public Service Announcements - on redio and television are planned throughout 
>1997 to raise the public awareness about IYOR and coral reefs. 
> 
>IYOR Poster contest for children will be held throughout the United States 
>during IYOR. It will be coordinated by the AZA, The Waikiki Aquarium and 
>other participating zoos and aquariums. 
> 
> 
>UNITED KINGDOM 
> 
>September-November 1997: Natural History Museum/Coral Cay Conservation 
>joint exhibition on coral reefs and children's educational weekend  
> 
>February 1997: UK launch at London Zoo, in conjunction with Sea Life 
>Centres, with David Bellamy 
> 
>1997: BP/Birdlife International/Fauna and Flora International special award 
>for coral reef expeditions 
> 
>BBC programme on coral reefs as part of forthcoming 'Oceans' series 
> 
>Other activities are being developed by the UK IYOR Committee.  Further  
>information (as well as copies of the UK-IYOR newsletter) from Vanessa 
>Guest e-mail 101341.16 at CompuServe.COM and Liz Wood e-mail 
>ewood at mail.globalnet.co.uk 
> 
>WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: 
> 
>An IYOR-affiliated Program to develop research and conservation initiatives 
>for the Western Indian Ocean is being established in Kenya by Tim 
>McClanahan with support from the Pew Charitable Trust.  It will be 
>headquartered in Mombassa under the Cora Reef Conservation Project of The 
>Wildlife Conservation Society and will focus on education-outreach and 
>coordination of activities in the region and research on ways to restore 
>degraded reefs and the effects  of multiple anthropogenic impacts. 
> 
>GERMANY 
> 
>October 1996: German Research Foundation meeting on 'Global and Regional 
>Controls on Biogenic Information'; IYOR information will be distributed. 
>Further information from Felix Gunkel e-mail: fgunkel at gwdg.de 
> 
>AUSTRALIA 
> 
>Programs being developed through Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, 
>Australian Marine Conservation Society, and University of Sydney. 
> 
>MEXICO 
> 
>Various activities underway, and plans for establishment of IYOR Mexican 
>Committee. 
> 
>COLOMBIA 
> 
>Plans for establishment of IYOR committee underway. 
> 
>                            EDUCATION MATERIALS 
> 
>Several initiatives are underway to assemble information on existing 
>materials and to produce new education and outreach materials through Steve 
>Ladd, Coral Forest and the UK IYOR Committee.  This information will be made 
>available through one of the Listservers shortly, and will also be 
>distributed at the World Conservation Congress.. 
> 
>                            SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES 
> 
>Re-survey of reefs previously impacted by excess sediment -El Nido/Bacuit 
>Bay, Philippines; September, 1996 led by Gregor Hodgson. 
> 
>Initial assessments of coral community condition, Bahamas Barrier Reef 
>(Andros Island); July-August, 1996 led by William Kiene. 
> 
>Re-survey of coral community condition off Abaco Island, Bahamas studied 
>some 30 years ago; September 1996; Robert Ginsburg and RSMAS colleagues  
> 
>A Workshop on research and conservation of coral reefs in the Western 
>Indian Ocean will be held in late February, 1997 in Mombassa, Kenya. Futher 
>information from Tim McClanahan, Coral Reef Conservation Project, The 
>Wildlife Conservation Society, P.O. Box 99470, Mombassa, Kenya FAX: 254 
>(11) 472215. 
> 
>Further information about IYOR from:  
> 
>Robert N. Ginsburg, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, 
>University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami FL 33149; Phone: 
>(305) 361-4875;  FAX: (305) 361-4094  or 4632; 
>rginsburg at rsmas.miami.edu  
> 
>Stephen Colwell,  CORAL, 809 Delaware St, Berkeley CA 94710, Phone 
>510-528-2492, Fax 510-528-9317; e-mail: IYOR1997 at aol.com 
> 
>Vanessa Guest, IYOR-UK, Fax (44) 1326-316-836; e-mail: 
>101341.16 at compuserve.com 
> 
> 
> 



William C. Burns 						 
Director, GreenLife Society - North American Chapter  
700 Cragmont Ave. 
Berkeley, CA 94708 USA  	 
Phone/Fax: (510) 558-0620					 
WWW site: http://EELINK.umich.edu/greenlife/index.html						


GLSNA Affiliations: 

Union of Concerned Scientists, Sound Science Initiative 
The EarthAction Network 
The Galapagos Coalition 
Reseau International d'ONG sur la Desertification (RIOD) 
Accredited NGO Observer, International Whaling Commission 
European Social Science Fisheries Network 

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