Coral Reef Roundtable Urges Acceleration of Conservation Efforts

Many speakers expressed appreciation of past efforts by the American government to call attention to the plight of the reefs, but were concerned that it is time to move beyond calls to action. Most local officials and stakeholders (many of them mired in poverty) do not have the resources to cope with the problem, and private sector industries that use reef products are not contributing to reef conservation. It was felt that engaging these groups should be a primary focus of future efforts. The need for an integrated "ridge-to-reef" approach was also mentioned by several participants, with Dr. Earle noting that it should actually go beyond that, into the deep sea. Several speakers noted that while all of these things (outreach, inclusiveness, integration) were necessary, they need to be done with a greater sense of urgency and with a focus on immediate results. While the International Coral Reef Initiative and other actions over the past decade have been useful, there is no evidence that we have even slowed the rate of decline of reef ecosystems.

Administration panelists, several of whom noted that they are themselves divers and had witnessed reef decline firsthand, pledged continued support for international efforts. Follow-up meetings on specific activities are planned.