To view the technical programme for Reefs of the World, please download the programme.

Reefs are hotspots for biodiversity, have high economic value as both tourism sites and productive fishing locations and in some shallow locations they present a challenge to shipping operations. Reefs also present an opportunity for a balanced approach to integrated ocean management where there is a challenge to create stability between the pressure from economic development and the high conservation value. This conference stream focused on coral, temperate, deepwater and artificial reefs and their common traits.

The Chairman’s views prior to the conference:

“The greatest challenge is to ensure that Reefs of the World are not irreparably damaged or lost entirely through the effects of global warming and the stresses of human uses, both deliberate and accidental,” explains Russell Reichelt. “By ‘reefs’ we are referring not only to tropical coral reefs but the cold water, deep ocean reefs that support extraordinary marine biodiversity and productivity.”

“The Reefs of the World Session at WMTC 2006 will provide a global scale snapshot of the state of reefs of the world. We will aim to have leading authorities on reefs presenting their overviews, and then identify some specific issues that relate to industry or public use of reefs; the management of those uses; the conservation of reefs; and the institutional arrangements and paradigms that provide the context for management and conservation. The session will canvass emerging issues such as multiple use management of marine protected areas (and marine managed areas).” The themes of the conference will include:

• Biodiversity of submarine reefs
  tropical coral reefs • mid-ocean deepwater reefs • temperate reefs • economic value of biodiversity – including molecular and genetic diversity • the current status of the world’s reefs

• Eco-security: exotic species translocation
  the global ballast issue – managing the problem • novel technology for ballast and hull-fouling • bio-security – the impacts of exotic marine species

• Food security
  managing fisheries in shared waters • best-practice and alternative technology for fisheries and aquaculture production • alternative income from marine resources (micro credit, non-food species)

• Climate change effects on reefs
  are there deep ocean impacts from climate change? • the phenomenon of coral bleaching

• Oceans policy
  development of integrated oceans management • ecosystem-based management • technology supporting surveillance and enforcement of oceans regulations

“The greatest success in recent years,” he explains, “has been the enhanced capacity of scientists and engineers to measure the status of the reefs of the world, the high level of community involvement in this process, and the development in some areas of innovative management regimes that not only regulate the uses of Reefs, but provide commercial incentives for responsible, sustainable use of reefs.

“We will seek speakers who have experience in these success stories and ensure that they understand and communicate the spectrum of uses, goals of management, available and emerging technologies and institutional arrangements pertaining to marine managed areas.”

He believes in the benefits of the multi-stream WMTC format explaining: “I work on the sustainable use, management and conservation of tropical coral reefs. Collaboration and cooperation across disciplines has been a key performance measure in the work of my centre since it began in 1993. Key areas of activity include: measuring the health of the Great Barrier Reef, understanding the biophysical and economic processes that drive the entire reef system, providing advice to Marine Park managers on key information gaps that they need filled in order to fulfil their function.”