From: ICRI Secretariat [mailto:icri@env.go.jp]
Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2014 2:35 AM
To: jmcmanus@rsmas.miami.edu
Subject: Launch of the GCRMN Caribbean Report

Dear colleagues,

It has been a long time coming, but it’s finally here! The all-awaited GCRMN report Status and Trends of Caribbean Coral Reefs: 1970-2012 led by Jeremy Jackson is getting officially launched today. As you know, the findings of the report clearly show that we can still save Caribbean reefs if we take action to protect parrotfish and similar grazers, as reflected in a Recommendation adopted at our last meeting in Belize (available here ). We managers and decision-makers can make this happen!

The (former) ICRI Secretariat has sponsored the making of a video to illustrate the main findings of the report and promote the Call to Action 2013 (entitled ‘From Despair to Repair’, by Sandy Cannon-Brown) – check it out on Vimeo here . It features Jeremy and his wife Nancy Knowlton telling a sweet but bitter story about reefs in the Caribbean which should encourage viewers to access the report, find out more about the work of ICRI and take action!

The press release, as well as the full report and its Executive summary are available at www.icriforum.org/caribbeanreport . Keep an ear out for any news on this report in your country – and please share any with us so we know it’s being picked up!

Many of you contributed to make this happen – so thanks to all those involved in getting data, editing and promoting the report, adopting the parrot fish recommendation, and now taking action in your own country: we can turn the trend around by working together in partnership – that’s what ICRI is all about after all. Or, as Jimmy Cliff, Jamaican reggae star likes to say, “You can get it if you really want, but you must try, try and try. You’ll succeed at last”.

With hope,

The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) Secretariat (former and present)