Planetary Coral Reef Foundation News
December 2004

PCRF at Sea – News from the RV Heraclitus!

 After a very successful homecoming to the West Coast of the USA, the RV Heraclitus sailed to Ensenada, Mexico where a dedicated team of volunteers completed a major, three month long dry-dock.  With the ship in better shape than ever, the crew set sail for the South Pacific in March and arrived in French Polynesia on May 1^st.   You can meet the crew at: http://www.pcrf.org/crew.html and track their voyage and adventures at: http://www.pcrf.org/expeditionlogs.html.

 
Scientific Coordinator, Orla Doherty, Studying Coral Reefs in Papua New Guinea

 PCRF Coral Reef Data Now On-Line!

Since May, the RV Heraclitus crew has been mapping and monitoring coral reefs in the South Pacific, and they are now posting their data on-line for anyone in the world to access for free. 
Please check out our new science hub:  http://www.pcrf.org/science/index.html where you will
find the crew’s latest discoveries, reports on coral reef health and estimates of reefs damaged and at risk.  We believe our current coral reef research may be the most important PCRF has ever undertaken because it is estimated that 90% of the reefs in the South Pacific have never been assessed, and this data is urgently needed!  Our crew will be studying reefs in this region for three years, and they have been deeply saddened by the devastation they have found on most of the
reefs they have studied in the South Pacific to date. 

 The Coral Reef Crisis is a Planetary Crisis

Unfortunately, what our crew is discovering about the state of coral reefs in the South Pacific reflects a growing trend, as reefs are now dying at an alarming rate worldwide.  An estimated 25% of coral reefs have already disappeared and an estimated two-thirds are at risk today.  Between 1996 and 2000, the Florida Keys suffered an estimated 38% loss of coral reefs, and more than 90% of the reefs in the Florida Keys have lost their living coral cover since 1975. Threatened by pollution, over-fishing, dynamite and cyanide fishing, as well as bleaching caused by rising ocean temperatures, coral reefs are now endangered on a planetary scale.  If immediate action is not taken, coral reefs could disappear from Earth within this century.
 

There are Solutions to the Coral Reef Crisis – PCRF’s Global Approach

To address the crisis, coral reefs must be mapped, studied, preserved and restored in oceans worldwide.  But if we are to succeed in this, we must obtain a scientifically accurate global
baseline map of living coral reefs.  Remarkably, we still don’t even know where all of the coral
reefs are located!  If we don’t know where they all are, and if we don’t get a global picture of
what is happening to coral reefs on a daily basis, we don’t stand a chance of saving the reefs
before it’s too late.  Today there is only one way to achieve this – through a satellite mission dedicated to coral reefs.  PCRF was founded in 1991 with this bold mission in mind.

Artistic Rendering of the Coral Reef Satellite
 

PCRF in Space – Coral Reef Satellite Mission News

Since our inception, we have worked to pioneer a Coral Reef Satellite Mission (CRSM).  This mission will create the urgently needed first comprehensive baseline map of living coral reefs and provide scientific, real-time data about changes in reef conditions worldwide.  The information will be disseminated for free via the internet, making it possible for policymakers, NGO's and anyone interested in coral reef conservation to use it to inform more effective legislation, public policy and preservation efforts.  The vision for the CRSM is to launch a new means of planetary stewardship whereby internet users everywhere will be offered opportunities to learn about the coral reef crisis and participate in an international Save Coral Reefs campaign.

 After more than a decade of work, we are pleased to report that we have now completed the Mission Description Document, a detailed plan for the CRSM, which reflects the pro bono efforts of a prestigious team of institutions and companies who have joined us in this extraordinary project – including M.I.T., Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Astrium in Europe who will sub-contract with a Russian company to launch the satellite from Russia on a decommissioned nuclear missile.  During the coming year, we will finalize the budget and schedule for the CRSM, select Conservation and Public Policy partners and launch the capital campaign for this exciting Mission. You can find out more about the CRSM at: http://www.pcrf.org/pcrfinspace.html.

 Education and Outreach – Toward a Planetary Awareness of the Coral Reef Crisis

At PCRF, we recognize that scientific data about the global demise of coral reefs alone will not help protect and restore coral reefs. The information must be disseminated widely and inspire action to preserve, protect and restore reefs.  A global education effort is urgently needed, and we are working hard to reach as many people as possible about the coral reef crisis through media, film, events, school programs and many different kinds of outreach activities.
 

The Willows Community School Walk-A-Thon to Save Coral Reefs!

To further advance public awareness, PCRF is developing an Educational Hub on www.pcrf.org which will include a variety of inspiring ways to learn about coral reefs, including learning packets for both the beginner and advanced researcher. As a first step, we have upgraded our web site over the past year, placing coral reef data, facts, research protocols, photos and posters on-line.  In 2005, we plan to expand this hub significantly, and it will form the core of our new education/outreach program.
 

Thank you so much for your support!  
To donate or for more information, please visit www.pcrf.org