Fiji Coral Reef Symposium

[Pacific Science Assn]

Symposium on Coral Reef during IYOR at the VIII Pacific Science  
Inter-Congress in Fiji 

One of the major scientific events during the International Year of the  
Reef (IYOR) is a joint symposium of the Pacific Science Association's  
Scientific Committee on Coral Reefs (PSA-SCCR) and the 1997 Annual  
Meeting of the International Society of Reef Studies (ISRS) in Suva,  
Fiji, at the VIII Pacific Science Inter-Congress, 13-19 July 1997.  This  
coral-reef symposium will take place one year after the launching of the  
IYOR at the 8th International Coral Reef Symposium in Panama. 

Among IYOR projects which are already scheduled for presentation at the 
Inter-Congress in Fiji are the results of the PSA-SCCR assessment of the 
state of the coral reefs in teh Pacific, a project funded by the U.S.  
Department of State's (DOS) International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI).  
Ten representatives of regions in the Pacific will present papers that 
will be published in a book on the status of reefs in the Pacific; the 
publication is being funded by the University of Hawaii Sea Grant Program.  
This book should be available at the symposium in Fiji.  A complementary 
project called GLOCOR (Global Coral Reef Assessment), funded by a Winslow 
Foundation grant, will also be presented at the symposium.  A major focus 
of GLOCOR is to resurvey the quantative transects which were surveyed 
decades ago in order to quantitatively assess changes in Pacific reefs 
over the past decades.  

Contributed papers on all aspects of coral-reef science are welcome, but  
we are extending a special invitation to papers in which examples are  
given for successful management programs for coral-reef resources.  We  
feel that the most effective method of promoting wise managment of reef  
resources is not by outlining steps to take (telling people what to do)  
or giving alarming news about the state of the reefs.  Rather, we urge  
the demonstration of case histories of methods which have proven  
successful, such as the well know results of marine reserves at Apo and  
Sumilon Islands in the Philippines. 

For comparative observations, dive excursions are planned on one-day  
field trips in or near Suva Bay and Beqa Reef. 

To obtain the Second Circular for the VIII Pacific Science Inter-Congress 
including registration forms, abstract forms, information on accom- 
modation, due dates, and field trips, please contact:  

VIII Pacific Science Inter-Congress Secretariat 
School of Pure and Applied Sciences 
The University of the South Pacific 
P.O. Box 1168 
Suva, Fiji 

FAX:  (679) 314-007 
e-mail:  psa at usp.ac.fj [best means of communication] 

Web site for the Inter-Congress is:  http://www.usp.ac.fj/~psa 

Participants intending to present a paper or poster are required to  
submit abstract(s) to the Secretariat by January 1997.  In order that  
we may organize the symposium, please also send a copy of the abstract to: 

Dr. Charles Birkeland              Dr. Richard W. Grigg 
UOG Marine Laboratory              Department of Oceanography 
University of Guam                 1000 Pope Road 
Mangilao, Guam 96923               Honolulu, Hawaii 96822 

FAX (671) 734-6767                 FAX (1) 808-956-9225 

e-mail: birkelan at uog9.uog.edu      e-mail: rgrigg at soest.hawaii.edu