Using the opportunity provided by the Great Barrier Submit – Managing for resilience, Hosted by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority in Townsville, Australia, UN Environment and the ICRI Secretariat organized a one day consultation on the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Networks (GCRMN). The meeting was very well attended by Australian organizations including the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF), the Australian Coral Reef Society, the James Cook University, the Department of the Environment and Energy, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS), the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) also joined also the meeting. The meeting allowed for discussions on GCRMN’s core business including further development of its governance and institutional structure. GOOS presented its Essential Ocean Variables (EOV), including the one on “Live coral” and link with the GCRMN. OBIS presented it global data sharing and clearinghouse for marine biodiversity data, and how coral reefs could be integrated (http://iobis.org).
More information will be available shortly.
