17th U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Meeting.

The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (Task Force) will be meeting in Washington D.C. at the Department of the Interior (DOI), March 1 & 2, 2007. Co-chaired by the Department of Commerce and the DOI, the Task Force is composed of senior representatives of twelve federal agencies and the Governors of seven states, territories, and commonwealths. Since its establishment by Presidential Executive Order in 1998, the Task Force has helped lead U.S. efforts to address the global decline of coral reefs and to effectively manage the nationís valuable coral reef ecosystems. This meeting will highlight the issues, progress, challenges and opportunities for coral reef management, with special presentations on the Local Action Strategies and alternative market incentives to spur coral reef conservation. On the afternoon of Wednesday, February 28, the Task Force is hosting an International Year of the Reef (IYOR) Mini-Summit to promote greater participation in IYOR 2008 and inspire new and creative collaborative action. The meeting is open to the public. For more information on the meeting and to register, visit the Task Force Meetings

Source: http://www.coralreef.noaa.gov/