The 12th International Coral Reef Symposium.
9/7/12
Today marks the start of the 12th International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS 2012) at the Cairns Convention Centre, Cairns, Australia. Held once every four years, the 5-day event brings together scientists from 80 countries, to present cutting-edge science and share the latest advances from international experts in coral reef conservation. The research and findings presented at the ICRS 2012 are fundamental to informing international and national policies and the sustainable use of coral reefs globally. Some 2,000 delegates, scientists, resource managers, conservationists, economists, educators and graduate students, from around the world are expected to attend the event
The event has been launched with a Consensus Statement on Climate Change and Coral Reefs with more than 2,400 signatures from the scientific community, worldwide, urging governments to take action for the preservation of coral reefs.
Topics and Issues
Coral reefs are declining rapidly almost everywhere. The symposium will cover the full spectrum of coral reef science, with the aim of sustaining reefs, and feature more than 1,500 talks and posters.
Topics include: coral reefs and climate change, ocean acidification, coral reef health and recovery, the role of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), managing reefs sustainably, and the Coral Triangle Initiative.
Plenary speakers, 22 Symposia and 72 Mini-Symposia, daily media briefings and other special events will illustrate coral reef threats, conservation strategies and the future of reefs.
History
Every four years the International Society for Reef Studies (ISRS), the world’s largest society officially focused on coral reefs and reef issues, convenes this major international scientific conference, the ICRS, sharing the latest knowledge and leading edge technologies about coral reefs worldwide. ICRS gatherings are critically important opportunities for advancing coral reef science, management and conservation, particularly at a time when our need to improve our understanding and management of coral reefs grows ever urgent.
The ICRS is the world’s pre-eminent meeting dedicated to coral reef science. Since the first Symposium was held in 1969 at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute in Mandapam Camp, India, the conference has grown from participants representing 11 countries to a global scientific event with 2,000 attendees from more than 80 countries.
To learn more about ICRS 2012, please visit the event’s website: www.ICRS2012.com
Over the course of the conference I hope to be able to bring you news of any issues that are of importance to reefkeepers.
Tim Hayes
Midland Reefs
Tags: Coral, Marine, MPA, news, oceans, overfishing, Reef, sustainable