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The Coral Reefs Sub-Theme has been approved by the partners
Background
Coral reefs are a major part of the world's biological heritage and a
significant resource for many tropical coastal countries. Millions of
people depend on coral reefs and related coastal habitats for their
livelihoods. Today coral reef ecosystems are in crisis under pressure
from global warming, over-fishing, coastal pollution and other human impacts.
Reefs are being degraded and destroyed around the world at an accelerating
rate. Improved observations or coral reefs are essential to identify
threats and support management action.
Objectives
The IGOS Coral Reef Sub-theme report identifies the unique characteristics
of coral reefs that require special observing techniques. It highlights
the urgent need to improve and coordinate observation capabilities for
coral reefs and related coastal ecosystems like mangroves and seagrasses,
and to integrate space-based and ground-based observing programmes in
coastal regions in support of management action. It provides strategic
recommendations for observing requirements covering all available observing
technologies, and proposes new products for monitoring ecosystem health
and change on coral reefs.
Benefits
Improved observations of reefs and their adjacent land and water areas
will provide planners, managers and users with the information necessary
to control land-based impacts, to improve fisheries management, to plan
and regulate tourism development, and to ensure the success of protected
areas. Already satellite-based observations are giving warning of "hot
spots" of overly-warm ocean water that threaten to bleach and kill
corals. Since coral reefs are the first major ecosystem threatened with
global collapse from human pressures, better reef observations will support
strategies to identify those areas that can be saved as refugia for regenerating
damaged areas.
Implementation
The Coral Reef Sub-theme was accepted for development by the IGOS Partners
in November 2001 under the leadership of UNEP and NOAA, and the sub-theme
report was approved in June 2003. The sub-theme is being integrated into
the IGOS Coastal Theme now under preparation. Implementation will be led
by GOOS and GTOS, and linked to the International Coral Reef Action Network,
a partnership of international organizations, Regional Seas programmes
and non-governmental organizations working to reverse the decline in coral
reefs.
Linkages
There are obvious linkages with the Ocean Theme, since ocean processes have important impacts on coral reefs, and with the Water Theme since freshwater runoff is another major influence. The Carbon Cycle is also critical to corals and other reef builders, since rising carbon dioxide in surface waters reduces their ability to form their carbonate skeletons.
Further Information
Arthur Dahl - UNEP (dahla@unep.ch) and Alan Strong - NOAA (Alan.E.Strong@noaa.gov)
Report
- final - June 2003 - 1,551kb
Presentation
- April 2004 - 1,419kb
