Issue 111 - August 2024

New Global Coral Bleaching Toolkit Empowers Marine Tourism Industry to Take Action

Supporting Coral Reef Resilience in the Face of Climate Change

The Reef-World Foundation – international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins iThe Reef-World Foundation, the international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative, has introduced a new Coral Bleaching Response Toolkit to help the marine tourism industry navigate the 4th global coral bleaching event, confirmed in April 2024 by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI).

A Practical Guide for Marine Tourism Operators

The Green Fins Global Coral Bleaching Response Toolkit is designed to equip dive centers, tour operators, and coastal businesses with the knowledge and strategies necessary to mitigate, monitor, and support coral reef recovery. It includes guidance on:

Understanding coral bleaching – its causes, effects, and long-term implications.
Implementing best practices to minimize human impact on stressed coral ecosystems.
Engaging tourists and local communities in conservation efforts.
Monitoring coral reef conditions through standardized reporting methods.

Compiled using expert resources from ICRI, NOAA, Coral Reef Alliance, Reef Check, and Green Fins, the toolkit ensures accessibility for businesses and individuals worldwide who want to take action.

The Impact of Climate and Human Pressures

Since February 2023, the El Niño phenomenon has driven persistent increases in global sea surface temperatures, intensifying coral bleaching across all major ocean regions. While the scale of the current event is alarming, bleached corals are not necessarily dead corals—they can recover if given the opportunity to adapt and rebuild.

“Coral reefs are under stress every day, and that reduces their ability to recover from bleaching events,” said Chloe Harvey, Executive Director at The Reef-World Foundation. “However, scientists have been closely monitoring the data, so we are better prepared. We know what this means, and we know what needs to be done. This global crisis calls for global action to protect these vital ecosystems for generations to come.”

Collaborative Efforts to Safeguard Coral Reefs

By providing education and practical resources, Reef-World aims to empower marine tourism operators to become active participants in coral reef conservation. With the right training and tools, the industry can serve as a driving force in mitigating climate-related threats and fostering the long-term sustainability of marine environments.

Organizations such as NOAA and the PADI AWARE Foundation have also joined the movement, calling for more citizen scientists to assist in monitoring coral bleaching worldwide. With the Coral Bleaching Response Toolkit now freely available, The Reef-World Foundation anticipates increased collaboration and collective action across the industry.

Explore the toolkit on Green Fins’ website: greenfins.net/coral-bleaching

Bleached Corals | Credit Ocean Image Bank

About Reef-World

The Reef-World Foundation is a registered UK charity which delivers practical solutions for marine conservation around the world. The charity promotes the wise use of natural resources – particularly coral reefs and related ecosystems – for the benefit of local communities, visitors and future generations. It is dedicated to supporting, inspiring and empowering governments, businesses, communities and individuals around the world to act in conserving and sustainably developing coastal resources.

Reef-World leads the global implementation of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative, which focuses on driving environmentally friendly scuba diving and snorkelling practices across the industry globally. As such, the charity provides low-cost and practical solutions to local and industry-wide environmental challenges associated with the marine tourism industry. It provides education and capacity-building assistance to empower environmental champions (within the diving industry, local communities, authorities and governments) to implement proven coastal resource management approaches.

Please visit www.reef-world.org to learn more or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X.

About Green Fins

Green Fins is a proven conservation management approach – spearheaded by The Reef-World Foundation in partnership with the UN Environment Programme – which leads to a measurable reduction in the negative environmental impacts associated with the marine tourism industry. The initiative aims to protect and conserve coral reefs through environmentally friendly guidelines that promote a sustainable diving and snorkelling tourism industry. It provides the only internationally recognised environmental standards for the diving and snorkelling industry and has a robust assessment system to measure compliance.

Green Fins encourages and empowers members of the diving industry to act to reduce the pressures on coral reefs by offering dive and snorkel companies practical, low-cost alternatives to harmful practices – such as anchoring, fish feeding and chemical pollution – as well as providing strategic training, support and resources. By reducing the local direct and indirect pressures tourism puts on coral reefs, it helps make corals healthier and more resilient to other stresses such as the effects of climate change. Look for the Green Fins logo when booking your next dive trip.

Please visit www.greenfins.net to learn more or follow the initiative on Facebook, Instagram and X.

Photo Banner Top: Zoe Lower Article: Giacomo Abrusci, Executive Director, SEVENSEAS Media

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The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) Call for Coral Reef Data

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Reef-World Launches New Toolkit in Response to The Current Global Coral Bleaching Event

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Signing up for the free Weekly Newsletter & Jobs List will get you a round-up of upcoming events, webinars, meetings, reports, funding opportunities, photos of the week, and recent postings to the jobs list.

To sign up for our free subscription, please Click Here, or email us Here.

Since 2004, SEVENSEAS Media has fostered an informal and non-partisan platform to promote understanding of key issues and challenges while building partnerships across an increasingly diverse group of marine conservation professionals and students.

Our mission is to promote communication and build partnerships across the global marine community and to identify and address gaps in the community’s work. SEVENSEAS Media achieves this through multimedia promotion and partnerships. The community consists of a diverse and growing group of participants, including non-governmental organizations, government agencies, foundations, bilateral and multilateral agencies, fellowship programs, independent consultants, and academia/students.

If you are interested in contributing or getting involved, email us Here.

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Issue 111 - August 2024

The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) Call for Coral Reef Data

The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) has launched a call for coral reef monitoring data for the preparation of the next global report; the Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2025.

The flagship products of the GCRMN are the “Status of Coral Reefs of the World” reports, supplemented by topical reports developed upon request of the global community and ICRI, and regional reports highlighting the status and trends of coral reefs across the network’s 10 regions. Since 1995, six “Status of Coral Reefs of the World” global reports have been published by the network at large. The sixth edition of the GCRMN “Status of Coral Reefs of the World” report released in 2021, was the first since 2008, and the first based on the quantitative analysis of a global dataset compiled from raw monitoring data contributed by more than 300 members of the network.

Given the urgency to conserve coral reefs and the commitments made by countries to 2030, the GCRMN is calling for coral reef monitoring data contributions for the development of its seventh “Status of Coral Reefs of the World” global report which will be released in 2026.

The report will describe the temporal trends of hard coral and algal cover (ideally at the resolution of macroalgae, turf algae, and coralline algae) at the global level, providing an update on the “Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2020” report.

GCRMN reports are focused on widely collected indicators that represent the status of coral reefs. For the “Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2025” global report, monitoring data on the percentage cover of benthic organisms is being requested

Data can be contributed if associated with a data paper or data repository, stored on MERMAID or ReefCloud, or if your data are stored in Excel or CSV formats. Please note, that your data will not be made publicly available or shared without your prior permission.

A Data Sharing Agreement and Guide for Data Contributors have been developed to support the data contribution process. These can be downloaded from www.gcrmn.net/2025-report and are available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.

The GCRMN welcomes all coral reef monitoring data and encourages your collaboration. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Data Collation team, the GCRMN Coordinator, or the ICRI Secretariat, or via the GCRMN Contact Page.

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Feature Destination

Feature Destination: Looking for A Different Experience Around Komodo National Park? Visit These 7 Epic Gems in Flores

Located within the Lesser Sunda Islands, the Komodo National Park, Indonesia, is the jewel in the crown of Labuan Bajo, Flores. Fly into the Komodo Airport which offers direct flights connecting various Indonesian cities, including Jakarta and Denpasar, to Labuan Bajo. Or opt for an adventurous boat ride from Bali or Lombok to reach Labuan Bajo. Labuan Bajo is the gateway to the fascinating Komodo National Park, but beyond this magical place, there are 7 more hidden gems that you can’t afford to miss.

Wae Rebo

A challenging but scenic hike through a dense forest takes you to Wae Rebo, a remote ancient village of the Manggarai tribe. Nestled among lush rolling hills and perched 1,200 meters above sea level, this quaint village features traditional 5-tiered, cone-shaped thatched huts.

Attend the warm welcoming ceremony in the largest hut, amble around the village, and watch the locals harvesting coffee beans. Enjoy the night sky, dine with the locals, and sleep in one of the huts. Wake up early to watch the breathtaking sunrise in dramatic settings.

Rangko Cave

Take a relaxing dip in the salty turquoise pool of Rangko Cave, one of Flores’ best-kept secrets.

At noon, watch the sunlight put on a show as it enters the cave’s mouth, illuminating the majestic stalagmites and stalactites surrounding the magical pool.

Cunca Rami Waterfall

Love getting up close to nature? Trek the trail to the pristine Cunca Rami Waterfall that winds through the beautiful Mbeliling forest offering scenic sights of small villages and agricultural lands.

Be awed by the streams of water dancing down the verdant rocks. Jump into the cool, clear pool for a refreshing swim or have a little picnic amidst the soothing scenery.

Kelimutu Crater

Located in the Kelimutu National Park, Mount Kelimutu is famous for the tri-coloured lakes sitting inside its crater.

Separated by thin ridges of rock, the Kelimutu lakes keep changing their colours, a unique phenomenon that attracts numerous visitors. Trek to the top of Mount Kelimutu to catch the surreal view of the sun rising over the vividly coloured lakes.

Batu Bolong

Witness the rare whitetip reef shark and large turtles at Batu Bolong, a world-class dive site in Komodo that has excellent visibility and excellent coral.

Capture amazing Instagrammable moments as you swim under the water surrounded by colourful corals and a huge volume of exotic fish, including trevallies, tunas, wrasses, rays, and clownfish. Be wary of the strong current that’s suitable for experienced divers.

Cancar Spider Web Field

Discover the spider web rice fields, known locally as the lingko fields, at Cancar village. Rice is cultivated on segments of communal land divided by a unique Manggaraian sharing system which makes the field resemble a spider’s web.

Climb up one of the surrounding hills to enjoy a wonderful panoramic view of the delightfully shaped wet rice fields.

Blue Stone Beach

Feast your eyes on the unusual turquoise, bluish stones lying on the black volcanic sand of Blue Stone Beach, Flores. Experience the tranquillity of the electric blue seawater, take some great photos, and enjoy some fresh seafood.

With East Nusa Tenggara topping the list of the Best Value Destinations in the World for the year 2020, you’ll be compelled to go beyond Labuan Bajo and Komodo Island in the pursuit of new experiences. So explore these 7 stunning spectacles around Flores and quench your wanderlust.

For more information click here.