International Year of the Reef March Update

By Mary Luna

The Philippines Tourism Authority launched the International Year of the Reef during this year’s Philippines Dive Expo (PDX).  PDX was a great event that included a children’s drawing contest, a fashion show by a surf wear company, and cocktails. This event also provided great exposure for Reef Check Philippines; its Director, Dr. Domingo Ochavillo, gave a talk about our work, the status of Philippines’ reefs, and what people can do during IYOR. For more information, please visit www.bestdivesphilippines.com.

Youth from Guadeloupe just participated in a day full of fun activities organized by Reef Check Guadeloupe. During this event, the kids conducted RC surveys and signed the Declaration. Video, pictures and a more detailed account of this event are available on our website.

Aruba is also moving forward with IYOR and has several events planned including art and photo competitions, beach and underwater cleanups, and fish identification and coral monitoring activities. For more details, please visit the IYOR Calendar section of our Reef Check Forum.

Public Service Announcements featuring the five key messages for the national IYOR campaign are now available in English and are being translated to Spanish. The PSAs will be available for download at no cost. Posters featuring these five key IYOR messages are already available and you can easily add your organization’s logo to each of them. For more information please visit www.iyorcreative.org or contact us at iyor2008@reefcheck.org.

With Earth Day just around the corner, the number of events featuring IYOR is growing. We invite you to send us your event dates and any related photos, video, or articles.