For Immediate Release Contact: Matthew Wetmore

310-463-5840

MEDIA ADVISORY – EVENT

Legendary Tall Ship Returns to USA

Brings Urgent Message to Save Coral Reefs

SATURDAY OCTOBER 11, 2003

SHIP DOCKS AT OAKLAND’S JACK LONDON SQUARE 12:30PM

HONORING CEROMONY WITH OAKLAND VICE MAYOR 1pm

Quick Facts about mission and crew:

Only group pioneering a global baseline map of coral reefs

using satellite imagery

Crew members composed of 8 different cultures

Just completed a 6,000 mile journey, 142 days at Sea

(This is one of the longest voyages on record without a stop!)

Oakland - The Tall Ship RV Heraclitus, the only research vessel continually at sea monitoring coral reefs on a global basis, is returning home for the first time since it was built and launched in Oakland, California in 1975. Since departing Oakland, this ship has circumnavigated the globe, journeyed up the Amazon River, sailed to the Antarctic Peninsula, and voyaged over 200,000 sea miles (equivalent to more than 8 times around the world).

RV Heraclitus is chartered by the Planetary Coral Reef Foundation (PCRF) to study coral reefs and address the problem that the reefs, as we once knew them, are disappearing. Coral Reefs are the indicator for the health of the world’s oceans and by extension, our global environment. Coral Reefs are in crisis, dying at an alarming rate worldwide. An estimated 58% of the world’s coral reefs are at risk today and an estimated 10% have already disappeared. The Florida Keys suffered an estimated 38% loss of coral reefs between 1996 and 2000.

To create the first-ever comprehensive baseline map of living coral reefs, PCRF is pioneering a Coral Reef Satellite Mission in cooperation with scientists at College of Charleston, MIT, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, SeaSpace, Stevens Institute of Technology and USC.

This will be the first satellite mission dedicated to the stewardship of coral reefs

For full press release, please visit www.pcrf.org

Broadcast Quality B-Roll Video is available upon request.

Your feature and event coverage is invited! For further information, to arrange interviews or make arrangements to cover the event, please call

Matthew Wetmore at 310.463.5840.