Location: Room P3B, Riocentro Convention Center, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Time and Date: June 21, 2012  7:00-8:30PM

The Government of Indonesia, in collaboration with development partners,  will host a high-level side event during the Leader’s Summit at Rio+20, to highlight Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security’s (CTI-CFF) achievements to date and lay out the vision and call to action for its future.  The event will be held on June 21 from 19:00-20:30 at Room P3-B in Rio Centro.

The CTI-CFF will be joining approximalet 2,500 people from some 80 countries, at the 12th International Coral Reef Symposium in Cairns, Australia. The CTI-CFF will be part of scientific discussions, pre-meetings and multi-media events that will highlight how cutting edge science is being translated into policy and action at the world's richest marine environment - the Coral Triangle. 

Location: Sebel Bluewater, Cairns, Australia.

Members of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security will launch the State of the Coral Triangle Reports (SCTR) during the 12th International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS).

Location: Philippines.

Goals of this Regional Seascapes Exchange include:

• Review of the Seascape Guidebook, including adaptation and finalization for CTI adoption as a good practice.
• Participation in the Global Seascape Workshop

Malaysia has been elected Chair of the Coral Triangle Initiative Council of Ministers (CTI-COM) for a two-year term at the 3rd Ministerial Meeting of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF) held here.

Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Maximus Johnity Ongkili accepted the chairmanship, which will run from November 20, 2011, to November 19, 2013.

It began as a young woman’s dream of a pristine coastline lined with lush mangrove trees in her town.

The dream of youth leader Hannah Esguerra has become a reality and a source of pride for the residents of Calatagan, who are now fiercely protective of their mangrove forest.

Many of the town’s residents had never realized that mangroves could not only shield them from natural disasters but also provide additional income.

Tawali in Papua New Guinea is one of the most remote resorts on earth—and that's just the way territorial divers and snorkelers like it. Tawali is their little secret.

Accessible only by boat, the journey to this dedicated divers' resort involves a one-hour flight from Port Moresby, a two-hour drive along bumpy, mostly unsealed roads, and a 30-minute speedboat ride.

Read the story in The West Australian >>

This time, they were ready.

Unlike a similar event in 1998, the 2010 mass coral bleaching occurred when a reef monitoring research system was already in place at key locations around the country.

Called the Remote Sensing Information for Living Environments and Nationwide Tools (RESILIENT) for Sentinel Ecosystems in Archipelagic Seas (SEAS), this large research program on climate change in coastal zones is funded by the Department of Science and Technology.

In a region that includes idyllic island destinations such as Palau, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Samoa, not to mention New Zealand's stunning landscapes, there is stiff competition for the title of "natural wonder."

Marovo Lagoon in the Solomon Islands is one of the contenders, and its nomination is well-deserved.

Read the story on Ballina Shire Advocate >>

East Timor is home to one of the world's best coral reefs. The colorful coral has thrived and remained largely unaffected, ironically, due to the country's onshore armed conflict.

Potentially harmful impacts from industrial pollution and tourism have been limited because the conflict kept investors and tourists away.

However, the government is now focusing on rapid industrialization and economic development, particularly the construction of a new power plant.