Reef Check Update Dec 20000

Gregor Hodgson gregorh at ucla.edu
Wed Dec 13 02:41:24 EST 2000


1. Thanks for all the support for Reef Check 2000!!
2. Training Workshops Completed in Indonesia and China
3. GCRMN/Reef Check/ICRI Global Status Report Releases Continue in US
4. New RC Initiatives in Thailand and Indonesia
5. UCLA Ladan Memorial Symposium and Student Awards

1. Thanks for all the support for Reef Check 2000!!
As RC 2000 draws to a close, we would like to send a big thank you to
all of the hundreds of teams who made this the best monitoring year yet!
Data has been pouring in. Better late than never!! Special thanks are
due to the Columbian, Indonesian and Japanese teams which grew
tremendously this year. In January, stay tuned for the addition to the
core protocol of the moray eel as another useful global indicator of
artisanal fishing pressure.

2. Training Workshops Completed in Indonesia and China
About 30 new and old coordinators attended the RC/GCRMN Workshop in
Bali, hosted by WWF Indonesia, Ketut Sarjana Putra and his able team. A
highlight of the workshop was Saturday cocktails aboard the Indies
Trader survey vessel hosted by the Quiksilver boardriding company. Kirk
Willcox spoke about why his company is supporting RC and how
coordinators might interest other corporates in sponsorship. Thanks
Kirk! See photos at Oct 28 and 29 Captain's log.
http://www.quiksilver.com/crossing/frame_captains.asp?colour=yellow

In November, UNEP and US NOAA sponsored a 10 day RC/GCRMN Workshop in
Hainan China. This is the FIRST time that China has hosted a coral reef
training workshop in Chinese waters and joined an international progam.
Considering the number of reefs in Chinese waters, this is a HUGE step
forward! NOAA's Bud Ehler, Jonathan Justi, and UNEP's Hugh Kirkman and
Yihang Jiang deserve the credit  -- even successfully gaining agreement
from them to submit coral reef data to the RC database. (Without special
permision, all marine data are officially State secrets in China and
islands in the S China Sea are particularly sensitive areas.) Equally
important, the trainees were included both government staff and local
dive shop divemasters (including women!). Thanks to RC HK's Keith Kei
and Terence Fong for leading the training --  in Mandarin no less. A
second training is planned for Guangxi province this Spring.

3. GCRMN/Reef Check/ICRI Global Status Report Releases Continue
GCRMN honcho Clive Wilkinson arrived in California for the West Coast
release of the RC/GCRMN Global Status Report held in Santa Monica on 2
December. Clive  then headed for huge release bashes in New York and
Washington DC resulting in major continuing publicity for reefs. A
familiar Aussie accent was heard on Natl. Public Radio yesterday. RC
participants and coordinators should feel proud that their data
contributed to this excellent, high profile report. A few hardbound
copies are available for impressing Ministers. Contact Clive.

4. New RC Initiatives in Thailand and Indonesia
Two major new training and survey initiatives commenced in Thailand and
Indonesia last month. A Regional Coral Reef Monitoring and Management
Training Center has been established at Phuket Marine Biological Center
under the direction of Drs. Hansa Chansang and Niphon Phongsuan. This
year, 20 SE Asian coordinators from 8 countries will be trained at PMBC
in addition to 50 Thais.

5. UCLA Ladan Memorial Symposium and Student Awards
As a tribute to Ladan, an annual student marine science symposium will
be held at UCLA and student awards will be given in her name. Info will
be available at
http://LadanMohajerani.com/  The family is very grateful to all the
support shown by reef scientists from all over the world.

Happy Holidays!

Reef Check Foundation
Institute of the Environment
1652 Hershey Hall 149607
University of California at Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1496 USA

Office Tel: 310-794-4985  Fax: 310-825-0758 or 310-825-9663
Email: rcheck at ucla.edu  Web: www.ReefCheck.org


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