New Exhibition at the Smithsonian Brings Creative Twist to Coral Reef

Autumn 2010

Working Together to Keep Coral Reefs Alive

New Exhibition at the The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) unites communities to save coral reefs. We help the people who live near reefs protect their Smithsonian Brings fragile resources by providing the means to develop local projects that save coral reefs Creative Twist to Coral and benefit communities.

Reef Conservation The Ladies Silurian Atoll (detail) Photo © The Institute For Figuring by Alyssa Gorelick

ORAL is thrilled to support the Hyper- the Crochet Reef as a way to call atten- Cbolic Crochet Coral Reef, a project by tion to the plight of the Great Barrier the Institute For Figuring, which will be on Reef. In 2005, as part of their work with exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National the Institute For Figuring, they began Museum of Natural History in Washington, crafting a crocheted coral reef artwork to D.C., starting on October 16, 2010, and con- raise awareness about the urgent need tinuing through April 24, 2011. to protect reefs worldwide. Their passion Created and curated by sisters Margaret sparked an unexpected flood of support. and Christine Wertheim, the unique project “Wooliness and wetness aren’t ex- interweaves the fields of science, mathe- actly two concepts that you initially put Over the past five years, the Institute For matics, conservation, and art to produce an together, but now this project reaches Figuring has worked with communities all intricate display of colorful crocheted corals across five continents and has roots over the world to produce local “satellite” and other marine life made from yarn and that extend into the fields of mathemat- reefs in places as far-flung as Chicago, New recycled materials. The creation of these ics, marine biology, handicraft, and York, London, Melbourne, and Cape Town. crafted “organisms” combines the math- environmental activism,” said Margaret In association with the exhibition opening ematics of hyperbolic geometry—which Wertheim, renowned science writer and this fall at the Smithsonian, CORAL has appears in nature in the complicated forms director of the Institute For Figuring. “It’s teamed up with the Embassy of Australia of corals, sponges, and sea slugs—with the taken on a viral dimension of its own, and the Quiksilver Foundation to support teachings of inventive crochet techniques. and in a beautiful way the development the launch of the Smithsonian Community Growing up in Queensland, Australia, the of the project parallels the evolution of Reef—the newest satellite of the Institute’s Wertheim sisters were inspired to create life on Earth.” global Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef project. Over the past several months, local residents of the Washington, D.C., metro- politan area and beyond have participated in crocheting portions of the reef, which will be on display as part of the educational exhibition this fall. We encourage you to visit the Smithso- nian this year to experience the artistic por- trayal of this ancient, beautiful, yet fragile ecosystem. The accessible and engaging exhibition will build awareness about the critical need for CORAL’s on-the-ground work to ensure that our living reefs and the communities that depend on them thrive. To learn more, visit our website at

Christine Wertheim installing the People’s Reef in Scottsdale, Arizona www.coral.org/smithsonian_exhibition. Photo © The Institute For Figuring by Alyssa Gorelick

AUTUMN 2010 Fiji THE CORAL REEF ALLIANCE (CORAL) Photo by Julie Bennett 351 California Street, Suite 650 San Francisco, CA 94104 (415) 834-0900 www.coral.org “Working Together to Keep Coral Reefs Alive” CORAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS H. William Jesse Jr., Board Chair C. Elizabeth Wagner, Secretary Breaking News from James R. Tolonen, Treasurer Curtis R. Berrien, Vice Chair of Advancement CORAL’s Project Sites Rod M. Fujita, Vice Chair of Science and Policy Linda Cain Paula Hayes Mesoamerica Indo-Pacific Katheryn Patterson Kempner Nancy Knowlton Mexico: CORAL funded a permanent Fiji: In June, CORAL partnered with SeaWeb Lyn Ciocca McCaleb photographic installation at the Puerta Maya and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Elizabeth Ulmer cruise ship terminal that will inspire some 1.2 to launch the Community Education Network million tourists annually to protect the natu- program—the first community-based CORAL CORAL STAFF ral environment of Cozumel. CORAL is coor- Reef Leadership Network training in Fiji. Conservation Programs Director dinating a sustainable financing workshop CORAL is working with WCS to develop an Rick MacPherson for local NGO partners to provide the nec- educational eco-guide for the Kubulau region. Finance and Administration Director essary tools and knowledge to help them The guide will catalog endemic, endangered, Tom Meshishnek identify and secure new funding sources for and culturally significant species of flora and Interim Director of Development coral reef conservation. CORAL has also be- fauna found in the forests, rivers, beaches, Sarah Freiermuth gun to provide SMR workshops in Playa del mangroves, and coral reef ecosystems of the Communications Manager Carmen, with two courses completed so far. Kubulau District. Susan Wolf Accountant Belize: CORAL completed nearly half a indonesia: Continuing our outreach and Vicky Seid dozen Environmental Walk-Through assess- alliance-building work in the community of Conservation Programs Associate ments with local dive shops and trained Amed on Bali, CORAL has met with eight major Candace Leong one additional CORAL Reef Leader in July. dive operators in the region to identify support Communications Associate CORAL is working with local partners to de- for a pilot program based on CORAL’s CRSD Joanna Solins velop a mangrove restoration workshop that model. CORAL is working with dive operators Foundation and Grants Associate will provide information about the critical to gather survey data on bleaching events in Kate Trevelyan-Hall importance of marine coastal forests to local the region, which will inform management ac- Membership Assistant Simone Sheridan stakeholders. CORAL also participated in tion for preserving the local ecosystem. the Placencia Sea Turtle Exchange program, CORAL is also working with local stakehold- Development Assistant Malinda Wistrom in which experts offered their knowledge ers to explore the potential for developing a Field Managers about how best to manage and assess sea locally-managed marine protected area in the Liz Foote (Hawaii) turtle nesting activities in Placencia. region. Kenneth Johnson (Mexico) Jenny Myton (Honduras) Honduras: A CORAL-funded micro- Valentine Rosado (Belize) grant was used to install and ensure the U.S. States and Naneng Setiasih (Indonesia) Heidi Williams (Fiji) maintenance of twenty new mooring buoys Territories in Cayos Cochinos, a small archipelago off Field Representatives Sirilo “Didi” Dulunaqio (Fiji) the northern coast of Honduras. CORAL also Hawaii: CORAL is making tremendous Kara Osada-D’Avella (Hawaii) worked with local partners to create new ed- progress in building alliances to support the Abdul Razak Tamher (Indonesia) ucational materials for the marine tour guide West Hawaii Voluntary Standards for Marine Moala Tokota’a (Fiji) industry to foster environmental and cultural Tourism. CORAL met with key staff members awareness trainings about the local marine at the Keauhou Beach Resort, who have environment. Nearly 500 Roatan marine tour- agreed to place an environmental pledge ism industry professionals have completed (developed as part of the standards to pro- CORAL trainings, and there are plans under- mote responsible marine recreation) in every Copyright © 2010 by the Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) Editor: Susan Wolf way to extend the training program to Utila room of the hotel. In addition, the Expedia® Designer: Damien Scogin {[email protected]} and Cayos Cochinos. concierge service contracted by the hotel will CORAL Current is published quarterly by the Coral Reef have a handout available listing their partici- Alliance (CORAL), an IRS 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. Copies of our audited financial statement are available at pating companies that have signed on to fol- www.coral.org or by phone request. low the standards. For comments, questions, or contributions to CORAL Current, please email us at [email protected].

AUTUMN 2010 New Community Education Network Launches in Fiji Kubulau, Fiji Photo by Julie Bennett

his summer, CORAL’s Fiji-based staff Tteamed up with SeaWeb and the Wild- incorporate principles related to reef in neighboring Savusavu to participate life Conservation Society to facilitate an conservation, resource management, openly in discussions on the importance intensive weeklong conservation training and sustainable tourism, but also empha- of conserving Kubulau’s natural resources. with the community of the Kubulau District. size the traditional ecological knowledge Attendees included the high chiefs (Tui This educational training was the first of and local legends that demonstrate the Kubulau and Tui Nadi), members of the several that have been planned over the deep cultural connection the community Kubulau Resource Management Committee, next year to give members of the remote has to its natural environment. government officials, local chiefs, village village community important tools and “We took great care in developing the spokespeople, community facilitators, and information that will help them manage and training,” said Heidi Williams, CORAL’s members of the greater community. protect their marine resources. Fiji Field Manager. “The training content SeaWeb staff brought their expertise in This new Community Education Network seeks to help the community marry communicating ocean issues to the pro- (CEN) program is based on the CORAL Reef what the latest science is telling us with gram, designing and facilitating the training Leadership Network program model, which their local traditional knowledge, so that sessions that developed key communica- empowers groups of qualified local Reef they are able to make informed deci- tion, presentation, and messaging skills Leaders to conduct educational outreach in sions regarding their future actions and for the group. “It was amazing to witness their communities. CEN incorporates similar choices.” the interest and committed participation of principles, but is especially tailored to the The CEN training represented a sig- virtually every community member in atten- unique village communities surrounding nificant milestone for the community, as dance, as well as the lively discussions that the marine protected areas of the Kubulau it was the first time that all of the chiefs often ensued when an issue of particular region. The CEN training exercises not only from the Kubulau District converged interest was raised,” said Daria Siciliano, Director of Science at SeaWeb. “The community members were inspired to work together to develop solutions that would ultimately protect their marine resources while still honoring their traditional values.” At the close of the training, the leaders were provided with educational tools, flip charts, and an action plan for present- ing the information they had learned to each social group within their respective villages—men, women, and youth. This “train-the-trainers” model will allow local leaders to play a key role in educating their own communities about the importance of preserving their local reef ecosystems. With the development of further training modules and the careful consideration of feedback compiled over the year, we hope to refine the program so that it can be rep- licated throughout the Fiji Locally-Managed Marine Area Network. CEN program participants review an educational flip chart during the training session Photo by Daria Siciliano

AUTUMN 2010 CORAL Receives OES Grant to Implement Global Strategies for Reef Resilience e are delighted to announce that the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans, WEnvironment, and Science (OES) has awarded CORAL a $198,000 grant over a two-year period to spearhead an exciting global reef resiliency management project. The grant money will provide funding to develop and support a worldwide training program aimed at building a global network of reef managers who are prepared to respond to climate change. Working closely with The Nature Conservancy and the National Oceanic and Atmo- spheric Administration’s Coral Reef Watch program, CORAL will identify a pool of reef resource managers from coral reef destinations around the world to attend classroom presentations, field excursions, and break-out sessions as part of a comprehensive reef resiliency training. Once trained, the participants will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to suc- cessfully replicate the trainings for additional coral reef managers and stakeholders in their own countries. This “train-the-trainers” approach will extend the reach of the project to build capacity in coral reef protection and resilience-building programs around the world. Following the replication trainings, the original core training participants and their in-country trainees will work with CORAL to identify microgrant funding opportunities to kick-start conservation projects that complement the training content. In addition, Coral reef scene, Raja Ampat, Indonesia Photo by Jeff Yonover trained reef managers, stakeholders, and community members in each destination will modify local marine protected area management plans to incorporate the resilience- based strategies they have learned. Volunteers Spread Coral Conservation Message across Bay Area ugust was a particularly busy time opportunity for CORAL to connect with Afor CORAL staff and volunteers like-minded community members in as they traveled throughout the San San Francisco to share our mission and Francisco Bay Area to engage and in- discuss the urgency behind our work. spire local community members to get CORAL staff and volunteers also at- involved in coral reef conservation. tended the BLUE Ocean Film Festival Our first stop was the San Francisco in Monterey. In addition to having an Aloha Festival, where volunteers staffed informational table in the exhibitor a table in the festival’s education tent area, CORAL attended networking and distributed information about our events, published an ad in the festival programs, with a special emphasis on program, distributed over 400 bro- our work in the Pacific Islands. chures to participating filmmakers and We then joined a group of the Bay marine researchers, and featured our Area’s leading environmental nonprof- two new short videos as part of the its, foundations, and businesses for film festival. A Common Green—San Francisco’s We are grateful to all of our wonder- second annual conservation consor- ful volunteers who dedicated their time Volunteers Rachael Van Schoik (left) and Shalina Omar tium. The event, which inspires green to help out at these events. represent CORAL at the San Francisco Aloha Festival design and living, offered a unique Photo by Susan Wolf

AUTUMN 2010 CORAL Bids a Fond Farewell to Executive Director Brian Huse Brian’s decision was a difficult one, and also helped lead the effort to create and it was made with careful consideration implement CORAL’s Coral Reef Sustainable for the best interests of the organization. Destination (CRSD) model, which is being “I have very much enjoyed my time at increasingly validated by the scientific CORAL, and I am proud of the direction community. the organization has taken during my Among his many accomplishments, Brian tenure,” he wrote in a farewell message. helped to identify and bring together the tal- “I am confident that the time is right to ented group of individuals who have worked hand over the reins to a new leader who so hard to make the organization what it is Brian Huse at CORAL’s 15th anniversary celebration in will build on our successes and ultimately today. He leaves behind a committed team San Francisco expand the organization.” that is ready and willing to move the organi- Photo by Aubrie Pick for Drew Altizer Photography During the past eight years, Brian has zation forward. played a pivotal role in growing the orga- The staff and board of directors at CORAL We are compelled to report some bit- nization from a small, grassroots alliance are extremely grateful for Brian’s contribu- tersweet news in this edition of CORAL of concerned divers into the only interna- tions, and we will all miss his confident lead- Current—after skillfully guiding the tional organization working exclusively to ership, his collegial style, and his steadfast organization for more than half of its unite communities to save coral reefs. sense of humor. In the interim, CORAL’s existence, CORAL’s esteemed executive Under Brian’s leadership, CORAL’s board has begun the search for a new director, Brian Huse, has resigned. Brian focus shifted to address a critical need in executive director to build on Brian’s legacy ended an inspiring eight-year tenure coral reef conservation: building strong and lead us into the next exciting chapter of when he stepped down from his leader- marine protected areas to enhance the organization’s history. ship post in August. resiliency in coral reefs worldwide. Brian Renowned Coral Reef Biologist Joins CORAL

We are delighted that distinguished ocean scientist Dr. Nancy Knowlton has joined our board of directors. Among her many roles, Dr. Knowlton holds the Sant Chair for Marine Science at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and is an adjunct professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Dr. Knowlton’s research centers on the ecology, evolution, and conservation of coral reef organisms. She is the author of over fifty peer-reviewed scientific journal research articles and the recently released book Citizens of the Sea. Her work has been sup- ported by the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Geographic Society, and the Smithsonian Institution. Dr. Knowlton was the Founding Director of the Scripps Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, and she is also a Staff Scientist Emeritus with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. She holds a B.A. from Harvard University and a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. She presently serves on the National Geographic Society’s Committee on Research and Exploration, the board of directors of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the edito- rial board of the Annual Review of Marine Science. As a key contributor to several well-respected marine research institutions, Dr. Dr. Nancy Knowlton is an Aldo Leopold Leadership Knowlton can provide exceptional guidance to CORAL’s efforts to build effective ma- Fellow and the recipient of the Peter Benchley rine protected areas in coral reef destinations around the world. We look forward to Award for Science Photo courtesy of Dr. Nancy Knowlton her leadership as we work to elevate public awareness about the urgency surrounding coral reef decline.

AUTUMN 2010 THE CORAL REEF ALLIANCE Non-Profit 351 California Street, Suite 650 U.S. Postage Paid San Francisco, CA 94104 Redwood City, CA Permit No. 688 www.coral.org

Log on to www.coral.org to sign up for E-Current, our free electronic newsletter.v

e nvi r o n men t a l b e n e f its s tatemen t of using post-consumer waste fiber vs. virgin fiber CORAL saved the following resources by using New Leaf Sakura Silk, made with 100% de-inked recycled fiber and 50% post-consumer waste, processed chlorine free, and manufactured with electricity that is offset with Green-e® certified renewable energy certificates: greenhouse trees water energy solid waste gases

3 1,509 2 141 351 fully grown gallons million Btu pounds pounds

Calculations based on research by Environmental Defense Fund and other members of the Paper Task Force. www.newleafpaper.com

Log on to www.coral.org to sign up for E-Current, our free electronic newsletter. CORAL CURRENT The Newsletter of the Coral Reef Alliance Celebrate the Oceans All Year Long with CORAL’s 2011 Calendar!

A CORAL membership has many benefits, and year after year, our members rank CORAL’s annual calendar as one of their favorite perks. Are you enjoying yours yet?

If you made a gift of $50 or more this year, you should have al- ready received your calendar. If you haven’t yet received a calendar, we have one waiting for you! Donate $50 today and—in addition to supporting CORAL’s critical conservation efforts— you’ll soon be enjoying the beautiful underwater images from coral reef locations around the world that are featured in this A goby (Coryphopterus hyalinus) perched on a mushroom coral (Ricordea florida) year’s calendar. in the Dominican Republic Photo © Jeff Yonover (www.jeffyonover.com) And please consider donating a gift membership to a friend or family member who loves the oceans. As everyone is tightening their wallets in this challenging economy, a gift to a worthy cause— especially when there’s a tangible present to include!—is even more meaningful to and appreciated by your loved ones.

For more information or to make a donation, please visit www.coral.org/calendar or call (415) 834-0900 ext. 306.

AUTUMN 2010