Nations, organizations, and individuals around the world have joined the International Year of the Reef 2008 (IYOR 2008)-from international to national, from university to village children, and every level in between-to raise awareness about the value and importance of coral reefs and threats to their sustainability and to motivate people to take action to protect them. A tremendous amount of material (in several languages) was produced during the year, including educational DVDs, posters, children’s books, and much more. More than 630 events were organized in over 65 countries, territories, and economies around the world.
The report is a compilation of accomplishments, highlighting only a few examples of activities that took place throughout the year. It was not easy to choose among the many actions, projects, activities and programs. We should be proud of our work; IYOR 2008 was the catalyst for the development of some critical actions that we expect will have significant positive impacts on coral reef conservation in the near future.
Even though 2008 has come to an end, the spirit of IYOR 2008 lives on. There are many upcoming events we will continue to support to help build awareness of coral reefs and the threats they face.