Contact: Matt Stout, NOAA For Immediate Release
2/24/97
The U.S. framework for the International Year of the Coral Reef and the goals of the U.S. Coral Reef Initiative were unveiled today by representatives from the Departments of Commerce and State. Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and its partners also unveiled their initiatives as well as a national public awareness campaign to focus attention on the state of the nation's reefs.
1997 has been declared the International Year of the Coral Reef as a means to bring attention to these unique and beautiful ecosystems that today face grave dangers from a variety of threats, many of them human-caused.
"Coral reefs are some of the earth's most diverse ecosystems, full of plants and animals with biomedical applications that we've only just begun to explore," said Commerce Secretary William M. Daley. "They are important protection for coastal communities from storms and wave damage and the foundation for thousands of jobs and billions of dollars for coastal communities."
Many of the same scientists, academics, managers and government participants supporting the International Year of the Coral Reef helped put together the International Coral Reef Initiative which, in 1995, issued a strong call to action. Directed at governments, the Initiative encourages countries and other partners to develop national and local initiatives to reverse the decline of reef ecosystems and thereby enhance the well-being of the communities that depend on them. The United States has followed suit.
"The United States is a leader in efforts to save coral reefs," said Timothy Wirth, under secretary for global affairs at the State Department. "Just three short years ago, I announced the International Coral Reef Initiative, a partnership of governments, scientists and private interests aimed at protecting, managing, and monitoring coral reef resources. The Initiative has grown rapidly from a small group of founding partners to a large consortium in which over 75 countries participate. In the United States, the national and international efforts are inextricably entwined. The Departments of State and Interior and NOAA in the Department of Commerce are integral to efforts to stop the destruction of coral reefs."
The United States was one of the first nations to develop a national Coral Reef Initiative. More than 75 of 100 nations with coral reefs have since begun coral reef initiatives.
Coral reefs are in decline. It is estimated that 10 percent of the earth's coral reefs have already died, and another 30 percent are in danger and may perish in our lifetime. Many of the threats to coral reefs are human-caused. Land-based pollution and sedimentation can quickly kill off an entire reef ecosystem. Overfishing and destructive fishing practices like cyanide fishing and using dynamite are also threatening coral reefs. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is the primary federal agency within the United States charged with the stewardship of our domestic coral reefs. In keeping with the call to action in the International Coral Reef Initiative, NOAA has developed an action plan to build on existing activities and help fill the gaps in the overall U.S. effort to protect and wisely use coral reefs. NOAA's contributions address three priority areas of the U.S. Coral Reef Initiative: Science for improved management, solutions for conservation and sustainable development, and improved information and outreach.
"We must seize this window of opportunity and act to ensure there are coral reefs for the next generation," said NOAA Administrator D. James Baker. "We don't know everything there is to know about these unique communities, but we do know we must act now to ensure they survive. That is why in addition to its policy initiatives, NOAA, along with its partners, is launching a national awareness campaign to educate the public on the state of the coral reefs and let them know there are things they can do."
This year-long campaign for reef awareness is entitled "Coral Reefs: the Rainforests of the Sea." Joining with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Earth Communications Office, Jean-Michel Cousteau, the Professional Association of Dive Instructors, and the world-famous artist Robert Lyn Nelson, NOAA is launching this national effort to bring the reality of coral reef decline to the public.
The first aspect of the campaign is a poster featuring a composition by artist Robert Lyn Nelson called Planetary Choir. The poster will be available in aquarium and zoo gift shops and in participating dive shops around the country within the next several weeks.
The awareness campaign will also include a series of public service announcements that will be unveiled later this year. A coral reef hotline will also be available to the public, starting today, which will provide more information about how to protect reefs. This hotline, 1-888-coral reef, is sponsored by ECO, the Earth Communications Office, and is made possible in large part thanks to the generosity of the Goldman Foundation. World famous explorer, Jean-Michel Cousteau will be on the coral reef hotline.
"Corals are the master architects of the planet. Over tens of thousands of years, they have constructed massive reefs and islands that make the pyramids look like children's building blocks," said Cousteau. "But we humans can be immensely destructive. In our ignorance we are harming some of the oldest and most successful life forms on the planet."
There are actions people can take. NOAA has published a brochure
entitled "25 Things You Can Do To Save Coral Reefs." It can be found on
the Internet at:
"From recycling to wise purchasing practices, people can make a difference," said Baker. "We are implementing our policy initiatives, but are issuing a call to action to the American people."