Let Your Voice Be Heard This Earth Day!

Sign the Earth Day 2010 Climate Declaration today and help protect our planet's coral reefs! 
Did you know that coral reefs could be gone within a generation if we don't take action? 
 
Coral reefs have thrived on Earth for over 200 million years, yet climate change is severely threatening their survival. Increases in sea surface temperatures, rising sea levels, and more frequent and severe storms lead to coral bleaching, degradation, and death. 
 
This Earth Day, help protect our coral reefs by lending your support to the Earth Day 2010 Climate Declaration. You can help motivate Congress to pass a comprehensive climate and clean energy bill to rebuild our economy, secure energy independence, and address the climate crisis threatening the future of the world's coral reefs. 
We've already lost almost 20 percent of the world's coral reefs. Scientists predict that unless we take immediate action, we could lose most of our remaining reefs by 2050! We have a narrow window of time to affect positive change, and the time to act is NOW.
 
Sign the petition! Show Congress that America is serious about clean energy and a sustainable future.
 
Working together, we can save the world's remaining coral reefs. Learn more about how you can help by reducing carbon emissions, making responsible environmental choices, and supporting the efforts of the Coral Reef Alliance.   
 

The oldest biological community on the planet needs our help, and with your support we are building a worldwide community to save it.

Reef by Scubazoo

This brilliant photographic compilation by small Malaysian-based diving collective ScubaZoo introduces the ecology of oceanic reefs, both temperate and tropical. Though technological advances and the devastation of global reefs have spurred many experienced diver-photographers to publish photo collections, the dazzling photography in this one stands out dramatically, as does its inclusion of images made simultaneously by still and video photographers (the book includes a DVD.) The photographs allow close study of coral, fish, crustaceans and many other enchanting creatures, while the video shows the vivid activity of the reef habitat. The helpful text provides a solid introduction to reef ecology, divided into reef landscapes, their inhabitants' survival behaviors, conservation issues and a broader look at reefs worldwide. The sole problem with the book is the lack of scale indications: it's hard to tell if a given animal is minute or enormous. But this is a small quibble: the book provides an excellent introduction to fragile reef ecosystems. (Sept.)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
"Color bursts forth like confetti from each page of this stunning visual adventure...highly recommended." -- The Alternative Consumer

"This beautiful book is filed with gorgeous photographs...Scubazoo...has done a magnificent job of portraying the reef community." -- Library Journal

"[A] brilliant photographic compilation...dazzling." -- Publishers Weekly (STARRED review)

"[A] unique pictorial celebration." -- Advanced Diver magazine

Coral reefs are often called "the rainforests of the sea" because of the quantity and diversity of life they support, and because they are highly sensitive and threatened ecosystems. Building on the success of DK's Rainforest, this unique pictorial celebration of the worlds reefs progresses through an ecological chain that goes from algae, sponges, and mollusks to the thousands of fishes that make their homes there. This vivid collection of photographs, from underwater photography collective Scubazoo, reveals reefs as they've never been seen before.

• Features reefs worldwide, from Southeast Asia to the Red Sea and Hawaii
• Captions identify plant and animal life and quotes give additional background information
• Photographic narratives demonstrate how reefs live/die, and how creatures depend on them
• Published in cooperation with the American Museum of Natural History

Sales of this book support the Coral Reef Alliance.

About the Author
Scubazoo is a dedicated team of divers, photographers, marine biologists, and conservationists, who have devoted their lives to the filming and preservation of reefs worldwide. Their work includes filming for productions broadcast on National Geographic, Discovery, Animal Planet, BBC, and NBC News. The group is based in Sabah, on the island of Borneo. Scubazoo works with the World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace International, the Reef Environmental Education Fund, and the Shark Trust. 

Fiji : The Short Story: Coral Reef Alliance

Since beginning our work in Fiji in 2003, CORAL is now seeing real and measurable progress from our Coral Reef Sustainable Destination (CRSD) approach. We have designed a business plan and are developing sustainable financing projects for the Namena Marine Reserve, and we provide technical support to the Kubulau Management Resource Committee (KMRC)—a community-based body charged with managing the region’s marine resources—in its operation of the marine reserve. We facilitate close working relationships between marine recreation providers and members of the local community on issues of marine area management and decision-making.

And on the nearby island of Taveuni, we assist the Waitabu Marine Park with improvements to its local management of the reef.

In addition to a dedicated Indo-Pacific program manager located at CORAL’s San Francisco headquarters, we employ two Fiji-based field staff to aid in all program execution.

Our Projects | Coral Reef Alliance:

Websites opened for marine protected areas - Fiji Times Online

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

THE only international organisation working exclusively mainly to protect coral reefs from the effects of global climate change has taken a bold step to promote local culture and richness.

The Coral Reef Alliance has launched two community-driven tourist websites for marine protected areas in Fiji.

The dedicated websites are for Namena Marine Reserve situated at Kubulau in Bua and the Waitabu Marine Park on Taveuni in the biodiversity waters of Fiji.

The websites: www.namena.org and www.waitabu.org was launched in America last Friday.

It features details such as visitor information, local community profiles and facts about park operations, providing an essential resource for tourists, conservationists, members of the local government and communities, and non-government organisations.

Made possible by the generous support of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the two websites were designed with extensive participation by local community members as a means of sharing traditional cultural knowledge with potential visitors and engaging the local population in the conservation of its precious natural resources.

Waitabu Village chief Tui Nasau is keen on promoting their natural resources and share the warm nature of the locals.

"In village life, we help each other and work together. Everything is done as a community. We would like to share our marine park with more visitors for it to become a truly self-sustaining operation," said the chief.

Known to be one of the best scuba diving spots in Fiji, the roughly 40-square-mile Namena Marine Reserve is home to many endemic and rare species. Established in 1997, the reserve stretches between Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.

Waitabu Marine Park is a vibrant reef set aside for the benefit of tourism and education.

Websites opened for marine protected areas - Fiji Times Online

Waitabu Marine Park : Coral Reef Alliance

Our Projects | Waitabu Marine Park: Coral Reef Alliance

In 1998, the residents of Waitabu Village designated a significant portion of their Qoliqoli, or traditional fishing grounds, as a no-take zone, thus creating one of the first marine protected areas in Fiji. With the dedication of local community leaders in partnership with CORAL and other non-governmental organizations, the Waitabu Marine Park celebrated ten years of healthy coral reefs in 2008.

Most recently, CORAL provided a microgrant to Waitabu Marine Park to purchase twenty brand-new masks and snorkels for the snorkel tourism business from which the park earns the bulk of its yearly income. And in an effort to increase camping tourism within the marine park, CORAL provided funds to purchase a lawn mower that park leaders will use to keep camping areas safe and well groomed.

Fiji field representative Sirilo “Didi” Dulunaqio was joined by field representative Heidi Williams in 2007, allowing CORAL staff to meet regularly with dive operators, the local community, and other stakeholders to develop customized training and materials for the region.

Our Projects | Waitabu Marine Park: Coral Reef Alliance

CORAL Publishes Marine Recreation Standards

CORAL publishes first ever regional standards for diving, snorkeling and boating activities.

In areas of high volume tourism, repeated direct contact with the reef poses an immediate threat. Hundreds of boat groundings and hundreds of thousands of tourist interactions each year reduce sections of coral reef to rubble. Human contact also reduces coral’s resilience to other stressors such as rising sea temperatures and diseases.

CORAL's "Voluntary Standards for Marine Recreation in the Mesoamerican Reef System" (PDF 668 KB) provides detailed requirements for environmentally friendly and safety conscious marine tourism businesses in the areas of diving, snorkeling, and boating and can be used by a variety of different groups such as:

• Concerned tourists to help them choose sustainable and safe marine excursions
• Marine Tourism Businesses to evaluate their own practices
• Non Governmental Organizations and Governments as a basis for creating standards in their area
• Bulk purchasers such as cruise ships to select sustainable and safe business partners

Download your copy of the "Voluntary Standards for Marine Recreation in the Mesoamerican Reef System" (PDF 668 KB)

Businesses Halt Fish Feeding hawaii fish feeding Help Stop Fish Feeding in Hawaii

Fish feeding can have disastrous effects on reef and fish health. Find out more about CORAL's "Take a Bite out of Fish Feeding Campaign" and our ever-growing list of businesses across Hawaii that are banding together to put a stop to this practice.

Send a LETTER OF SUPPORT to participating businesses and encourage other businesses to help ban harmful fish feeding.

ACT NOW TO HELP SAVE THIS RARE CREATURE!

Dear Friend of the Ocean,

I am writing to you with very exciting news for the Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL)--and especially for the coral reefs and myriad rare species found in the archipelago of Raja Ampat.

For the next 30 days, CORAL Board member, Dr. Jim Foght, will match every contribution supporting our work in Raja Ampat--dollar for dollar--up to $25,000. Please act now to double the impact of your gift.

As you know, Raja Ampat is home to one of the most pristine reefs in the world with 450 species of hard coral, 600 mollusk species, and as many as 1,100 fish species--including a newly discovered shark that walks on it's fins! But crushing poverty has pushed some local fisherman to use cyanide and dynamite--severely damaging the coral. What's worse, mega commercial fishing companies are threatening to ramp up their operations in these precious waters.

Friend of the Ocean, your gift today will go twice as far to help us stop this destruction.

CORAL is working with the villagers to develop tangible benefits for protecting their coral reef--so they won't be forced to destroy it for their own survival. And, in just two years, we've made significant progress--including a tourism fee system that is generating money immediately for the communities. But I'm sure you can understand there is much more to be done to ensure the reef's long-term survival and to help the local people who depend on the reefs for their livelihoods.

I am reaching out to generous supporters like you, Friend of the Ocean, because I know you'll want to take advantage of this limited opportunity to double your gift today and help preserve one of our planet's most spectacular coral reefs. Thank you!

CORAL is offering Raja Ampat communities an alternative to these ecologically destructive options. However, we cannot sustain our Raja Ampat programs without support from members like you.

Cheers!

Brian Huse
Executive Director

P.S. You won't believe this "walking" shark until you see it for yourself! Click on the link to the right to view a video and, please, help protect this and other rare creatures by making a gift right now. Thank you.