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Planetary Coral Reef Foundation
Description of the problem:Coral reefs are the most biodiverse of all marine ecosystems and the greatest expression of ocean life. Also known as the "rainforests of the sea," they are the barometer for the health of our oceans and possibly our entire global environment. Coral reefs are now in crisis – dying at an alarming rate worldwide. An estimated 25% of coral reefs have already disappeared and an estimated two-thirds are at risk today. Threatened by pollution, over-fishing, dynamite fishing and bleaching, coral reefs are now endangered on a planetary scale. If the degradation continues at the present rate, we face the very real possibility of losing all the coral reefs on Earth within this century. The stakes are high, as the future of our planet depends on the health of our oceans and the health of our oceans depends on the health of our coral reefs. Description of the project/solution:The Planetary Coral Reef Foundation (PCRF) was founded in 1991 to address the coral reef crisis. Since its inception, PCRF has pursued an unprecedented approach to the crisis, launching an innovative scientific and educational campaign worldwide. PCRF’s research vessel, the RV Heraclitus, is now completing year twelve of an ongoing expedition dedicated to mapping, monitoring and preserving the world’s coral reefs. Crewed by an entirely volunteer team of officers, scientists and students, the RV Heraclitus is the only ship continually at sea studying coral reefs on a planetary basis. PCRF now posts its data online at pcrf.org so that anyone interested in coral reef conservation can access this information free of charge and use it to make a difference in the future of coral reefs. Today, there is no comprehensive baseline map of living coral reefs, and this information is urgently needed if we are to have a chance of saving this endangered ecosystem. To accomplish this critical goal, PCRF is pioneering a Coral Reef Satellite Mission in cooperation with scientists at College of Charleston, M.I.T., Scripps Institution of Oceanography, SeaSpace, the Stevens Institute of Technology and USC. This will be the first satellite mission dedicated to the stewardship of coral reefs. PCRF is a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) organization. Amount that Channel G seeks to raise in order to help the organization achieve its goals:The annual cost to operate the research vessel, RV Heraclitus, is $300,000. This ship sits at the core of PCRF’s research and educational efforts worldwide. Channel G seeks to raise $85,000 on behalf of the Planetary Coral Reef Foundation to keep the RV Heraclitus at sea and enable the crew to continue their critical research and education about the state of the world’s coral reefs. |
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