Contact: U.S.:  Bill Zahner, NOAA                    11/13/98
         Australia:  Craig Sambell,
         Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
       



                                 MEDIA ADVISORY
                              
            U. S. Ocean, Coral Experts To Attend Ecosystem Symposium
                                

More than 200 coral reef experts from many parts of the world will descend on Australia Nov. 22-26 for the International Tropical Marine Ecosystems Management Symposium (ITMEMS) in Townsville Queensland, Australia. Dr. Nancy Foster, head of the U. S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Ocean Service, will be a keynote speaker addressing new trends in marine protected area management. Other NOAA representatives will review U. S. experience in managing NOAA's Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and describe the severity of the recent world wide coral reef "bleaching" believed to be associated with El Nino.

The symposium will bring together managers of coral reefs and related ecosystems from around the world to review progress in management of these systems, to set an agenda for their future conservation and sustainable use, and to develop further capabilities to manage these ecosystems.

Coral reefs and associated seagrass and mangrove ecosystems are among the most biologically productive and diverse on Earth. Experts say coral reefs are in serious decline globally, especially those near shallow shelves and dense populations.

The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) was established to reverse the global degradation of coral reefs and associated ecosystems. The ITMEMS Australia meeting in November will strengthen the global coalition to improve management of these fragile ecosystems.

For further information about the symposium, contact Bill Zahner in the United States or Craig Sambell in Australia.

The conference Web site is at: http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/~icri/secretariat/itmems