Status of Coral Reefs of the Pacific and Outlook: 2011
Chin, Andrew, Lison de Loma, Thierry, Reytar, Katie, Planes, Serge, Gerhardt, Karin, Clua, Eric, Burke, Lauretta, and Wilkinson, Clive (2011) Status of Coral Reefs of the Pacific and Outlook: 2011. Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network.
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Abstract
This report is based on the information collected by hard working scientists, managers, conservation organisations and non-governmental organisations working tirelessly across the Pacific. It shows that the coral reefs of the Pacific are in better condition than those in other reef regions in the world, and remain the less stressed compared to reefs elsewhere. This is encouraging considering that recent global reports paint a gloomy picture of the status (and likely future prospects) of large areas of the world’s coral reefs. However, the longer term outlook for Pacific reefs is not encouraging with increasing human-induced threats and global climate change predicted to result in considerable damage in coming decades. This constitutes our conclusion, while many of the reefs in the Pacific appear healthy and resilient now, the outlook is poor.
Most Pacific reefs are in reasonable to good condition with either healthy or recovering coral communities and reasonably intact coral reef fish and invertebrate populations. There are large numbers of coral reefs spread over vast areas of the Pacific that are remote from human pressures; these remain among the best preserved reefs in the world. Many of these reefs grow around low lying and uninhabited atolls with few human pressures and no runoff from the land. Recently, there have been active processes to declare many of these reefs as protected areas with considerable success
Research Statement
Research Background | This project undertaken for the GCRMN under contract from CRIOBE in French Polynesia. YThis is the first of the GCRMN's new regional reports on coral reefs. The report uses a standardised criteria based reporting framework for 22 Pacific Island Countries and Territories, and synthesises a large body of work in these countries. Each chapyter was reviewed by GCRMN reviewers based throughout the Pacific. The approach is modellend on the Great Barrier Reef Outlook Report 2009. |
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Research Significance | This is an important synthesisi and account of the current state of coral reefs in the Pacific, and their first report to present a clearly defined future outlook for these reefs. |
Item ID: | 24292 |
Item Type: | Book (Reference) |
Keywords: | coral reef, Pacific, state of the environment, climate change, marine protected area, marine researve, community based management, fisheries management, monitoring |
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Date Deposited: | 19 Dec 2012 02:18 |
FoR Codes: | 05 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 0502 Environmental Science and Management > 050206 Environmental Monitoring @ 60% 05 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 0502 Environmental Science and Management > 050205 Environmental Management @ 40% |
SEO Codes: | 96 ENVIRONMENT > 9605 Ecosystem Assessment and Management > 960507 Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Marine Environments @ 60% 83 ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND ANIMAL PRIMARY PRODUCTS > 8302 Fisheries - Wild Caught > 830299 Fisheries- Wild Caught not elsewhere classified @ 40% |
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