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Program Management
IOC, UNEP, WMO and IUCN have joined forces to co-sponsor the GCRMN, which is hosted jointly by AIMS (Australian Institute of Marine Science) and ICLARM (International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management). These bodies, along with the ICRI Secretariat, form the GCRMN Management Group. Advice is provided by a widely representative Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (GCRMN-STAC).
The GCRMN will function through fifteen independent networks, or sub-nodes, in six regions around the world. These networks will contain many different groups of people, all collaborating to monitor coral reefs and share data.
The regions are
- Western Indian Ocean islands and East African States
- Middle East Gulfs (those countries bordering the Red Sea around to the Persian/Arabian Gulf)
- South Asia (India, Sri Lanka and Maldives)
- East Asian Seas (from Burma/Myanmar and Japan to Indonesia/Philippines
- Pacific Island states
- Caribbean and Intra-Americas, including countries with reefs bordering the Atlantic Ocean
Regions will be divided by the participant countries into smaller sub-nodes, each of which will employ a team of trainers and database operators to assist a small group of countries. Each sub-node will employ a team of trainers and database operators to assist a small group of countries. Thus, the GCRMN will emphasize the involvement of local communities. Wherever possible, the GCRMN will use existing organizations and networks, integrate existing monitoring programs, and maintain flexibility to incorporate different methods of monitoring, other than the standard methodology.
Data Collection and Management
The strategy to establish the global network is to employ a team of monitoring trainers in each GCRMN sub-node and use this team to train similar trainers in participating countries. The training will continue throughout the region with the focus on monitoring by local communities.
Monitoring will continue over time at key national sites, to gather data and develop skills. Experienced marine institutes will assist in training, establishing of databases and problem resolution.
A range of reef types will be monitored along line transects, assessing easily recognizable life forms and total fish counts, with specific counts of 'target' fish of commercial or recreational value. As people gain more experience, monitoring will be upgraded using the same methods, but to species level. Local communities will be questioned on their use and knowledge of reef resources and how management may be improved. The Network will be responsive to reef users and provide information back in an understandable format.
Monitoring data will be accumulated in each sub-node for distribution within the region and to ReefBase (ICLARM, Manila). These will be combined, by the GCRMN Coordinator, into annual global reef status summaries and disseminated to international forums, organizations and the media.
Wherever possible, the GCRMN will use existing organizations and networks, integrate existing monitoring programs, and maintain flexibility to incorporate different methods of monitoring, other than the standard methodology. |
Core Objectives
The core objectives are:
- To link existing organizations and people to monitor biophysical and social, cultural and economic aspects of coral reefs within interacting regional networks.
- To strengthen the existing capacity to examine reefs by providing a consistent monitoring program, that will identify trends in coral reefs and discriminate between natural, anthropogenic, and climatic changes.
- To disseminate results at local, regional, and global scales by providing annual reports on coral reef status and trends to assist environmental management agencies implement sustainable use and conservation of reefs. Data will also aid preparation of predictive global climate change models for the GOOS Coastal Zone Module.
Users
Users are governments, international programs, institutes, non governmental organizations, project leaders and communities with a requirement to monitor and manage the health of coral reefs around the world. GCRMN provides the mechanism for linking existing monitoring projects into Regional Nodes for the resolution of problems, and sharing of experiences and expertise.
Countries and regions produce national and regional status of the coral reefs reports. The program also produces global status of coral reef reports every two years and ensures the data are widely published.
Contact information
Dr. Clive Wilkinson
Coordinator, Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network
c/o Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)
PO Box 772,
TOWNSVILLE MC 4810
AUSTRALIA
Tel: +61 (7) 4729 8452
Fax: +61 (7) 4772 2808
E-mail: c.wilkinson@aims.gov.au
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