[Coral-List] Reef Futures 2018 Symposium (Key Largo, Florida) Registration Now Open!

[Risk, Michael]

My, time passes when you are having fun...it was 18 years ago that I was at another meeting in Key Largo. This was arranged by EPA and designed to evaluate the various reef-monitoring schemes that were under way in Florida. I was part of a 4-person evaluation panel. 

I was astounded by the results...I had left the Caribbean a decade or so before, and worked in SE Asia...I came back to learn that the Florida Reef Tract was basically dead. I recall saying "wtf have you people DONE?!" 

The FMRI program had done an excellent job of documenting a decline from about 45% cover in the 60's to 3-4% by century's-end. Climate change, of course, had nothing to do with that-the footprints of land-based sources were all over this.

We (the panel) concluded that monitoring had done the job-it had detected significant change. We suggested that all efforts should in future be devoted to reducing known stresses.

I recall inserting the phrase "regional mass extinction" into our report, because that was clearly what had happened. I also recall that phrase being taken out in later versions, without consultation with us.

If this next Key Largo meeting remains focussed on climate change, it will be no more successful than the one I attended. Although I did enjoy hanging out with my American homies.
________________________________________
From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov [coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml..noaa.gov] on behalf of Coral Restoration - NOAA Service Account [coral.restoration at noaa.gov]
Sent: June 25, 2018 8:24 AM
To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
Subject: [Coral-List] Reef Futures 2018 Symposium (Key Largo,   Florida) Registration Now Open!

*Greetings Coral Restoration Community, We are excited to announce that
registration is now open for Reef Futures 2018: A Coral Restoration and
Intervention-Science Symposium <https://reeffutures2018.com>, to be held
December 10-14, 2018 in Key Largo, Florida.Saving the world’s coral reefs
requires a multi-pronged approach. Immediate and aggressive action on
climate change is paramount for the long-term survival of reefs; however,
carbon already released  into the atmosphere will continue to warm ocean
waters to a level inhospitable to corals for decades to come. This
symposium will bring together experts from around the world to share the
latest science and techniques for coral reef restoration while kicking-off
a global effort to dramatically scale-up the impact and reach of
restoration as a major tool for coral reef conservation and management.
Reef Futures 2018 is being planned in conjunction with the upcoming Great
Barrier Reef Restoration Symposium
<https://www.jcu.edu.au/events/2018/july/great-barrier-reef-restoration-symposium>
and will build on information exchanged there. We are striving for robust
international participation and cross-fertilization of disciplines to
develop new ideas. Scholarships and reduced registration rates are
available to encourage participation from developing nations. We will be
hosting a week of activities with the primary content occurring Dec 11-13.
The symposium will include oral presentations, posters, panel discussions,
workshops, exhibits, site visits, and fun times! We invite participation
from solution-minded individuals from a wide variety of fields - materials
science, environmental engineering, wildlife conservation and natural
resource management, environmental policy, communications, and of course
coral biology and restoration. Please distribute this announcement far and
wide via your networks!The themes of Reef Futures 2018 are: - The Role of
Restoration in Reef Management and Conservation- Restoration Operations and
Mechanics: best practices for scaling-up restoration - Restoration and
Interventions in the Context of a Changing Planet- Demonstrating the Value
and Efficacy of Restoration and Interventions- Restoration Vignettes:
restoration efforts from around the worldVisit the Reef Futures 2018
website <https://reeffutures2018.com> for more information and register to
submit an abstract or attend the event. Abstracts are due July 31.
Applicants will be notified in September, when a draft program will be
available. If you can't join us in Key Largo, check out our Coral
Restoration Consortium Facebook page
<https://www.facebook.com/CoralRestorationConsoritum/> or subscribe to the
CRC Newsletter
<https://reefresilience.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=efcc8bbe0d970d0af718bb6fe&id=c6bbf8ea0b>
to stay up to date on event details, scholarly information on restoration,
quarterly webinars, and information on joining the CRC Working Groups
<https://reefresilience.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=efcc8bbe0d970d0af718bb6fe&id=40eb1e7549>.For
questions, please contact coral.restoration at noaa.gov
<coral.restoration at noaa.gov>. Cheers and Best Regards,The Coral Restoration
Consortium*
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