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Latest IYOR News

A cebebration of the International Year of the Ref 2008 will be held at the 11th ICRS on Monday the 7, July 2008. [More...]

An CBD-ICRI Side Event: "Marine Biodiversity and the International Year of the Reef" at COP 9 to celebratethe International Year of the Reef (IYOR) 2008 will be held on the May 26, 2008. [More...].
An IYOR 2008 presentation will be made at the CBD CEPA Fair. [More...]

U.S. Messaging Campaign - NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation have worked together to develop a united U.S. IYOR Messaging Campaign with the input from the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Education and Outreach Working Group. 5 action messages have been developed into FREELY downloadable print advertisements (available in 3 sizes). More: www.IYORcreative.com.

IYOR launched in Brazil - On April 9, 2008, the Chamber of the Deputies launched, in Brasilia, the International Year of the Reef. More than 100 environmentalists and deputies participated in the event in which Maria Cecilia Way de Brito, Secretary of Biodiversity and Forest, gave a lecture about Brazilian Coral Reefs. [More...].

Temporary exhibition on Coral Reefs at Oceanopolis (Brest, France) - Across an original production, copiously illustrated by magnificent underwater photographs from the biologist-diver Laurent Ballesta, admire the beauty and diversity of coral reefs. You will learn it a little more about the coral polyp, major actor of the building of reef.

New "Japanese IYOR 2008 Mascots" - From the beginning of December 2007 to the end of January 2008, a contest for a name for the Japanese mascot and for the design of "secondary" mascots was held. 1524 suggestions were received for the name and 694 for the design of other mascots. [More...]

Belize's International Year of the Reef Launch - Belize's International Year of the Reef campaign was launched in grand style at the Bliss Center for Performing Arts in Belize City on Monday March 17th 2008. It was attended by the Hon. Gaspar Vega, Belize's Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, the CEO from The Ministry of Tourism, Mr. Michael Singh, the Executive Director of PACT Belize, Valdemar Andrade, the CEO of Reagan International, Mr. Dennis Johnson, a great number of NGO representatives and members of the Diplomatic Core. [More...]

Regional Pacific Year of the Reef Campaign launched in Vanuatu - Vanuatu was the home of the Pacific-wide launch of the 2008 Pacific Year of the Reef campaign. The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and key partners kicked off the regional campaign to encourage the peoples of the Pacific to take urgent action to save the region's coral reefs. [More...]

Fiji launch the International Year of the Reef - The Minister for Primary Industries, Mr Joketani Cokanasiga launched the International Year of the Coral Reefs on March 3rd at the Lower Suva Civic Auditorium. [More...]

The International Year of the Reef (IYOR 2008) was officially launched on the evening of January 24th, 2008 in Washington DC at a celebration event hosted by The World Bank.

Guests gathered from all over the world to attend the event, including government representatives, organizations, embassies, private sector and the conservation and scientific community. Remarks given by Claudia McMurray, US Department of State, Assistant Secretary for Oceans, Environment and Science; Noah Idechong, Vice Speaker of the Palau House of Delegates; VADM Conrad Lautenbacher, NOAA Administrator; and Drew Richardson, President and Chief Operating Officer of PADI among others, demonstrated the importance of the IYOR campaign. [More...]

Proclamation, Mural Unveiling Kick Off 2008 as "International Year of the Reef" - In honor of 2008 as "International Year of the Reef," Mayor Charmaine Tavares issued a proclamation and helped unveil a large mural commissioned by Maui Ocean Center (MOC); the event was held Friday, December 14, 2007. [More...]

The World Ocean Observatory presents Coral Reefs! - A comprehensive on-line compendium of reef information including organizations, research, internet resources, publications, curricula, kids' activities, and media. (www.thew2o.net/events/index.html)

IYOR Launched in Japan - The Ministry of the Environment (Japan) held an opening event for International Year of the Reef 2008 (IYOR2008) to announce its launch in Japan.

The event included a speech by Ms. Ritsuko TANAKA, an actress who is also the chairwoman of an NGO working on coral reef conservation, and Mr. Tadashi YASUNAGA, director of the Sunshine International Aquarium. A panel discussion was also held including those planning various activities for IYOR, an opening call for IYOR, a presentation of the outline of IYOR and an announcement of Japan's campaign mascot for IYOR 2008.

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