Facts:
Coral reefs occupy only 0.1% of the ocean’s surface, yet they are the world’s richest repository of marine biodiversity. They are the largest living structures on Earth — the only natural communities distinctly visible from space. Complex and productive, coral reefs have survived over the course of more than 400 million years of evolution, and possess a remarkable richness, diversity of life and structure.
Within an equatorial band between the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer, coral reefs are the lifeblood of near-shore, tropical waters and play a key role for the coastal populations that depend on food and resources for daily livelihoods. Today, coral reefs around the world are in such serious decline that they put at risk the environmental and economic stability of many coastal nations. Of the 109 countries with significant coral reef communities, at least 93 are experiencing damage. Many coral reefs have reached a state of decline that they can no longer be considered as coral reefs, while others are under increasing threat from local human disturbances and impacts from a changing global climate.
Coral Reef Targeted Research & Capacity Building for Management Program:
The Coral Reef Targeted Research & Capacity Building for Management Program (CRTR) is a leading international coral reef research initiative that provides a coordinated approach to credible, factual and scientifically-proven knowledge for improved coral reef management.
The CRTR Program is a partnership between the Global Environment Facility, the World Bank, The University of Queensland (Australia), the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and approximately 50 research institutes and other third parties around the world.
The CRTR Program is co-ordinated across geographic nodes – Centres of Excellence – Philippines, Mexico, Zanzibar and Australia – that reflect the regional distribution of coral reefs and the management initiatives underway to conserve them. These regional nodes are the focal points for research carried out by international scientifists through coordinated Working Groups which address the following research themes:
– Coral bleaching and local ecological factors
– Connectivity and large-scale ecological processes
– Coral diseases
– Modelling and decision support
– Remote sensing
– Restoration and remediation.
The overall research framework ensures integration between the Working Groups and is overseen by a Synthesis Panel of key research leaders.
