The United States Coral Reef Initiative: an overview of the first steps

Abstract

M.P. Crosby, S.F. Drake, C.M. Eakin, N.B. Fanning, A. Paterson, P. R. Taylor, J. Wilson Introduction The United States, along with many other nations, is con- cerned that the health of coral reefs and related ecosystems is deteriorating rapidly all over the world. Agenda 21, the final document of the 1992 Earth Summit, identifies corm reefs as ecosystems of great biodiversity and production to be accorded high priority for protection, and calls for an integrated management approach for their protection and sustainable use. The call by scientific, management and environmental advocacy communities for action towards a coordinated strategy for coral reef research and manage- ment has grown dramatically in recent years (i. e. Coral Reefs 13(4) editorial by R.W. Grigg). Some sources esti- mate that 10% of all reefs have been degraded beyond recovery, and another 20-30% are in peril over the next 10-20 years. As an initial effort to counter this trend, the United States is developing an interagency Coral Reef Ini- tiative (CRI) to create the base for a combined domestic and international effort aimed at the conservation and ef- fective management of coral reefs and related ecosystems (mangroves and sea grass beds). A U.S. CRI Coordination Team and Steering Committee have been created and staf- fed by personnel from a number of U.S. agencies to coordinate the development of the Initiative. Effective management of coral reef ecosystems addresses such glo- bal environmental concerns as biodiversity, land-based sources of marine pollution, sustainable development and climate change. Hence, the U.S., Japan, Australia, Jamai- ca, France, the United Kingdom, and the Philippines have also announced an International CRI to protect coral reefs in partnership with other coral reef nations around the world, non-governmental organizations, international or- ganizations, multilateral development banks, and private sector businesses. The State Department is currently pro- viding the overall Coordination Office for the international