Progress report for
Reduction of Coral Reef Decline/Sharing stratigices, information and action plans
Achievement at a glance
The St. Maarten Coral Summit was destroyed during the hurricane in St. Maarten . All work, meetings , and contractual arrangements have been redirected to humanitarian delivery of over 100 boxes of relief material delivered by our operational director at the time, by private boat owners and distributed to victims on the island.March for the Ocean presentation event at John Pennenkamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo, Florida was a huge success in our effort to raise awareness for coral reef conservation. Our team of professional divers retried trash and other material from under water mangroves and beach cleanup. Shared a screening of Chasing Coral with park visitors. See our video for additional events. (https://youtu.be/GJKqUNDMGsM Attended Reef Gala Key Largo and attended DEMA. Created bronze sculptures of turtle for education-Completed at a cost of approximately $20,000. Dive trip to Key Largo with turtles for awareness and to go on tour. Create mobile application for tracking and monitoring coastal events, coral condition and mammal . Developers version completed and are 50% completed with application.Create partnership with like minded organizations and people. Developed new partnerships with UnderPressure Sports and Travel, engaged many more divers from around the world, PADI, Captain Slates Dive Shop, Dive21, Stream2Sea, Blue Frontier, Dive Right and the Sebring Chamber of Commerce. Developed a coral conservation plan and execution for Cook Islands-Lost funding, no follow up.Disaster response provided for Hurricane Michael in Florida-provided equipment to deliver four trailers and trucks full of food and water for distribution to victims.Began developing the WFCRC Coral Reef Conservation expedition as a diver training and a knowledge sharing module about coral reef conservation and concludes with diving with the Cozumel Coral Reef RestorationChallenges faced in implementation
The challenge of most importance is how to change the way people think and do business. This is a basic physiological change that has to happen now. It is true in the US and other countries as well . \r\n\r\nThe farther one moves away from the coast, the lack of concern and support just drops off. When it is out of sight it is out of mind. Poverty plays a role in this effort to change how we do business and how we relate to the world around us.\r\n\r\nThese are such global issues that we focus on what can be done in years not life times, through training, town hall meetings and other out reach programs. Efforts like our web site (www.wfcrc.org) our FaceBook Page (https://www.facebook.com/TheWorldFederationForCoralReefConservation/) and our Linkedin Page (https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3883834/)\r\n\r\nOnce we scale that effort, we still need funding and operational capital. We have the expertise (97 Yr of combined experience), equipment and experience to implement and execute our volunteer commitments and success with all of our programs.Beneficiaries
Coastal communities, storm and flood victims, coastal residence, coast line and beach decline\r\n\r\nWith an operational picture of an event, damage info could alert agencies quicker\r\n\r\nIf storm and waste water could remove some toxic chemicals and debris, the coral reefs would greatly benefit from that ground roots effort to affect what we can not.\r\n\r\nThe vital tourism industry, would benefit in the long term growth as well.\r\n\r\n