Over one-half
Coral
of the world's population lives
ReefTargeted Research &
within 100 kilometres
Capacity Building for Management
of the sea.
Coral Reef Targeted Research
& Capacity Building for Management
Centers of Excellence
Centers of Excellence:
Bridging Global Research and Local Management
Implications for Coral Reef
The Program supports a series of workshops
stressors can be sustained for current and future regional Centers of Excellence. The Centers
Management
at the Centers of Excellence each year which
generations.
of Excellence provide facilities and technical
brings researchers from the various Working
support for the various CRTR Working Groups.
Four regional Centers of Excellence are
Groups together to orient field research,
Turning Knowledge into Practice
The Centers of Excellence provide facilities and
associated with the Coral Reef Targeted
provide briefings on key findings and engage in Currently, most coral reef research is based
technical support for each of the CRTR Working
Research & Capacity Building for
training opportunities.
in universities and research institutes in the
Groups and also support training for local and
Management (CRTR) Program, reflecting
The Centers of Excellence serve as important
developed world, whereas most coral reefs are
regional students and scientists. The Centers
the distribution of coral reefs throughout
focal points for the network of CRTR scientists
located in developing countries.
will be an important bridge in communicating
the world.
to engage with managers, NGOs, local
Rectifying this global imbalance in knowledge
research results to management and policy
The partnerships have been formed to
stakeholders and other interested groups.
and capacity is a key mission of the CRTR
communities, engaging in consultation with
enable the Centers of Excellence to serve as
Program.
relevant stakeholders such as organisations of
a convening location for each of the CRTR
Goal
fishers, coastal managers and local government.
To accomplish this, the Program intends to
Working Groups. This ensures research can be
Build scientific capacity necessary to provide
build or enhance the capacity of institutions
discussed and implemented with regional and
the information needed for management and
in at least three developing country sites, and
local scientists in a collaborative spirit.
policy, so that coral reef ecosystems under
a fourth based in a developed country, within
threat from climate change and multiple human the first phase so that they can function as
Southeast Asia
East Africa
Mesoamerica/Western Caribbean
Australasia/South Pacific
The Marine Science Institute/Bolinao Marine
University of Dar es Salaam, Institute of Marine
Unidad Académica Puerto Morelos (UAPM),
University of Queensland Heron Island Research
Laboratory of the University of the Philippines
Sciences (IMS), Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología,
Station (HIRS), Queensland, Australia
(UPMSI), Philippines
As the Center of Excellence for the Eastern Africa
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
The HIRS operates as one of the largest platforms
The Bolinao Marine Laboratory (BML) is situated
region IMS is collaborating with CRTR Working
UAPM is located 2.5 km from Puerto Morelos, 30 km
of coral reef research in the world. It is situated
275km north-west from Manila, at Cape Bolinao,
Groups to build regional capacity through graduate
south of Cancun, in the proximity of a reef lagoon.
80km offshore from Gladstone on the southern
Pangasinan Province, on the western side of the
scholarships, training workshops strengthening
The UAPM maintains close ties with national and
Great Barrier Reef. The Australasian Center of
mouth of the Lingayen Gulf in Luzon Island. BML is
expertise, such
local organizations including government agencies
Excellence aims to draw upon the knowledge of
the principal field research station of the UPMSI.
as remote
in charge of fisheries, the environment, science and
managers of the Great Barrier Reef, the reefs of
More information
The Center of Excellence has become the focus for
sensing analysis
technology. It maintains research partnerships with
Western Australia, Indonesia and the Pacific region to
coral reef research in Southeast Asia.
and modeling
numerous institutions in Mexico and abroad and
develop a regional
techniques
also maintains important linkages to local or regional
understanding of
The University of Queensland is the
The local research priorities identified to be
to support
NGOs, activities and projects with relevance to the
research needs for
Project Executing Agency (PEA). More
undertaken during Phase One include:
regional coral
CRTR Program.
management.
information about the CRTR Program
1. Coral identification and taxonomy
reef research.
can be obtained from the PEA:
Individual faculty members at UAPM maintain
The Australasian
2. Coral disease and marine microbiology
Information
active collaborations with individual scientists from
Center of
outreach will also
C/O Center for Marine Studies
3. Connectivity of populations of economically-
institutions from around the world.
Excellence is
be emphasized
The University of Queensland
important reef species
working towards:
for coral
Although UAPM does not participate actively
St Lucia QLD 4072
bleaching, restoration and remediation, and general
in regional management projects, such as the
1. Providing a solid technical platform for the Working
Australia
Chair: Emeritus Professor Edgardo Gomez
coral reef and fish ecology.
Mesoamerican Coral Reef Initiative, the UAPM is an
Group research and training activities.
The Marine Science Institute
important partner in the management of the local
Telephone: +61 7 3365 4333
Three local research priorities have been identified:
2. Establishing critical equipment and undertaking
University of the Philippines
Marine Protected Area. In addition, individual
research and training activities related to stress
Email: info@gefcoral.org
Diliman, Quezon City
1. Investigations on coral settlement, recruitment,
faculty
markers, bleaching, disease, connectivity and
1101 Philippines
restoration and associated environmental factors.
members
remote sensing.
The CRTR Program is a partnership
Tel./Fax: + 63 2 435-7417
2. Mapping and characterization of coral reefs and
are members
between the Global Environment
Email: edgomez@upmsi.ph
4. Training courses for students in advanced material
associated threats.
of several
Facility, The World Bank, The
technical
and techniques on coral reefs and environmental
University of Queensland (Australia),
3. Information dissemination on coral reefs and
committees
change.
the United States National Oceanic
indigenous knowledge.
in charge of
5. Stimulating and building regional networks across
and Atmospheric Administration
managing other
the Australasian, Indonesian and western Pacific in
(NOAA) and approximately 40
Chair: Dr Alfonse M. Dubi
coral reef related
research and training expertise.
research institutes and other third
Director, Institute of Marine Sciences
MPA's.
6. Supporting activities aimed at increasing regional
parties around the world.
University of Dar es Salaam
Two UAPM faculty serve as core members of the
capacity for understanding and managing coral
The four sites or Centers of
P.O. Box 668 Zanzibar, Tanzania
CRTR Working Groups on coral bleaching and coral
reefs under environmental change.
Excellence are Southeast Asia:
Tel.: +255 24 223 2128 (Direct)
disease.
Marine Science Institute of Bolinao,
Tel.: +255 24 223 0741 (General)
Chair: Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg
University of the Philippines; East
Fax:: +255 24 223 3050
Email: dubi@ims.udsm.ac.tz; director@ims.udsm.ac.tz
Chair: Dr Roberto Iglesias-Prieto
Africa: Institute of Marine Sciences,
Centre for Marine Studies
Unidad Académica Puerto Morelos (UAPM),
University of Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar,
The University of Queensland
Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología,
St Lucia QLD 4072 Australia
Tanzania; Mesoamerica/Western
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Caribbean: Unidad Academica
Apartado Postal 1152,
Tel.: +61 7 3345 1156
Email: oveh@uq.edu.au
Puerto Morelos, Universidad Nacional
Cancún 77500, QR, México
Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico; and
Tel.: +52 (998) 871 02 19
Australasia/South Pacific: Heron
Fax: +52 (998) 871 01 38
Island Research Laboratory, Centre
for Marine Studies, The University of
www.gefcoral.org
Queensland, Australia.

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