The Management Group provides the GCRMN with overall guidance and high-level advice on policy, strategies, links to governments, funding possibilities, coordination with international and other agencies and programs, including NGO activities, and linkages between the GCRMN and the representative agencies and committees. The Management Group maintains regular electronic contact with the GCRMN Global Coordinator and meets on an opportunistic basis to coincide with International Coral Reef Initiative meetings.

The IOC/UNESCO is the United Nations’ focal point for marine science, research and observations to provide better knowledge about ocean resources, their nature and sustainability for marine management and policy development. Key priorities involve building national capacities to address the World Summit of Sustainable Development's Plan of Implementation, the role of Small Island Development States, and the Millennium Development Goals. IOC/UNESCO assists in the development of coral reef monitoring and data management, with equal emphasis on ecological and socio-economic information. A particular focus is understanding the role of reef-dependent coastal communities in conservation and sustainable development. IOC, with UNEP, IUCN and the World Meteorological Organisation formed the Global Task Team on Coral Reefs in 1991 to develop global coral reef monitoring, which was the precursor to the GCRMN, with IOC, UNEP, IUCN, World Bank and the CBD now as co-sponsors. The GCRMN contributes data on coral reef health and resources to the Global Ocean Observing System.

Umit Unluata
u.unluata@unesco.org
IOC/UNESCO, 1 Rue Miollis, 75015 Paris, France
http://ioc.unesco.org

Reef Check is a global environmental group established to facilitate community education, monitoring and management of coral reefs. Reef Check is active in more than 70 coral reef countries and territories, where it seeks to: educate the public about the coral reef crisis and how to prevent it; create a global network of volunteer teams that regularly monitor and report on reef health under the supervision of scientists; scientifically investigate coral reef processes; facilitate collaboration among academics, NGOs, governments and the private sector to solve coral reef problems; and stimulate community action to protect remaining pristine reefs and rehabilitate damaged reefs worldwide using ecologically sound and economically sustainable solutions. Under the ICRI framework, Reef Check is a primary GCRMN partner and coordinates GCRMN training programs in ecological and socio-economic monitoring, and coral reef management throughout the world.

Chris Knight
rcinfo@reefcheck.org
PO Box 8533, Calabasas, CA 91372
http://www.ReefCheck.org