Sense of urgency at coral reef meeting

Updated July 8, 2008 09:20:14

Coral reefs are threatened by warming sea levels and increased human contact. [Reuters]

The world's largest scientific meeting on coral reefs is underway in the United States.

The International Coral Reef Symposium is held once every four years, and this year it's taking place in Florida.

Radio Australia's Corinne Podger reports that nearly 2,500 coral experts are at the Symposium, presenting the latest research on the world's reefs - from the Pacific to China to the coasts of Africa.

This meeting's taken the theme 'Reefs for the Future', and hundreds of presentations are focusing on the threats posed by overfishing, pollution, and the temperature rises and severe weather events linked to climate change.

There's a sense of urgency here, with many reefs on the brink of extinction - with dramatic implications for around 500-million people who rely on them for food and income.

But there's also room for hope, in the form of successful experiments in farming and transplanting healthy coral to damaged reefs, and the estabishment of more marine parks and sanctuaries.

There's an increasing emphasis on better communication between stakeholders, from fishing and indigenous communities, to local and national governments, to improve the management of reef resources and reinforce legislation.