PSA Coral Reef Committee

[Pacific Science Assn]

During the VIII Pacific Science Inter-Congress held in Suva, Fiji, July
13-19, 1997, the Scientific Committee on Coral Reefs (PSA-SCCR) convened a
symposium "Coral Reefs 1997--The International Year of the Reef" as well
as held a committee meeting.  A website has been established for the PSA
Coral Reef Newsletter.  In addition to news and notes on research
activities and announcements, the newsletter includes a bibliography on
information on previous transects and surveys of coral reefs in the
Pacific islands and is the most complete compilation of quantitative reef
assessments in the past in both refereed journals and unpublished
technical reports.  In addition, there are bibliographies on effects of
storms on coral reefs and on coral reef survey handbooks.  The address of
the website is: 

             www.bishop.hawaii.org/bishop/psa/


Through a grant from the U.S. Department of State's International Coral
Reef Initiative [via Dr. Robert N. Ginsberg] funding was provided for the
publication of: 

Grigg, R. W., and C. Birkeland (eds.).  1997.  Status of coral reefs in 
the Pacific.  University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program.  144 p. 

Twelve coral-reef scientists, nine members of PSA-SCCR, were commissioned to 
prepare reports on the status and health of coral reefs in ten regions of 
the Pacific:

Coral Reef Health in the Central Pacific--J. E. Maragos [East-West Center, 
  Honolulu] 
Assessment of the Present Health of Coral Reefs in the Eastern Pacific-- 
  P. W. Glynn [University of Miami] 
The Status of Coral Reefs in French Polynesia--C. E. Payri and F. Bourdelin,
  [Universite Francaise du Pacifique, Papeete]
Hawaii's Coral Reefs: Status and Health in 1997, the International Year 
  of the Reef--R. W. Grigg [University of Hawaii] 
Assessment of the Present Health of Coral Reefs in Indonesia--A.  Soegiarto,
  [Indonesian Institute of Science, Jakarta] 
Status of Coral Reefs in the Marianas--C. Birkeland [University of Guam]
Recent Status of Coral Reefs in Okinawa, Japan--K. Yamazato [Meio 
  University, Okinawa]
Assessment of the Present Health of the Coral Reefs in the Philippines-- 
  [H. T. Yap, University of the Philippines, Quezon City] 
Assessment of the Present Health of Coral Reefs in Taiwan--C.-F. Dai 
  [National Taiwan University, Taipei]
Status of Coral Reefs in Thailand--S. Sudara and T. Yeemin [Chulalongkorn 
  University, Bangkok]

Several of the papers were presented during the Symposium.  This "Status" 
report may be obtained [US$20] from:  Sea Grant College Program, 
Communications Office, 1000 Pope Road, MSB 200, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, 
U.S.A.

At the request of the Director of the Coral Reef Research Center of the 
Republic of Palau, the PSA-SCCR has provided supporting documents for the 
importance of developing a Coral Reef Research Center in Palau to the 
Vice-President of Palau and to the U.S. Department of State International 
Year of the Reef.


Clive Wilkinson convened a special workshop on the Global Coral Reef
Monitoring Network (GCRMN).  Copies of the second edition of the "Survey
Manual for Tropical Marine Resources" were made available. 


The International Society for Reef Studies held its annual meeting at the 
close of the Symposium with Steve Miller conducting the business meeting. 


The following Resolution was ratified at the Closing Session of the 
VIII Inter-Congress:

International Decade of Reef Conservation

Whereas coral reefs are the most diverse marine ecosystem in the world 
and a most important source of natural resources both culturally and 
economically for tropical coastal societies, and

Whereas coral reefs and their resources are under significantly 
increasing pressure from human population growth, urbanization, and 
economic development, and

Whereas 1997 has been established and recognized as the International 
Year of the Reef;

Be it resolved, therefore, that the Pacific Science Association endorse
and support a program to continue the International Year of the Reef for
another year as part of the International Year of the Ocean with the
express purpose of establishing an International Decade of Reef
Conservation and to solicit support for such a program from member
countries of the Association and stakeholder countries in which reefs are
major and significant resources. 


The IX Pacific Science Inter-Congress "Sustainable Development in the
Pacific" will be held in Taipei, Taiwan, November 15-21, 1998; the XIX
Pacific Science Congress "Science for Pacific Posterity: Environments,
Resources and Welfare of the Pacific People" will be held in Sydney,
Australia, July 4-9, 1999.  Coral reef activities are being planned for
both of these future meetings.