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San Francisco, CA  – July 2, 2009

Healthy coral reefs are the largest living structures on the planet and the second largest storehouse of biological diversity. These highly productive ecosystems are economically valuable, with reef-based tourism generating more than $1.2 billion each year in the Florida Keys alone. Coral reefs provide coastal protection, food, and income, supporting the livelihoods of approximately 100 million people around the world.

However, coral reefs in the United States and worldwide are declining at an alarming rate. Unless we take immediate action, we could lose up to 70 percent of the world's coral reefs by 2050. Human activities have damaged coral reefs to the point of being the most threatened ecosystem on Earth; they are currently teetering on the edge of destruction. Fortunately, three major human impacts on reefs-climate change, overfishing, and pollution-are reversible if we act now. As noted undersea explorer Dr. Sylvia Earle has stated: "If reefs are in trouble, we are in trouble."

We are encouraged by indications that the Obama Administration and the new Congress will establish a serious commitment to coral reef conservation through the appointment of Dr. Jane Lubchenco-a distinguished ocean scientist with a strong track record in ocean conservation-to lead the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). We also see a tremendous opportunity for the United States to continue its leadership role in helping to reverse the downward spiral of coral reef destruction and ensure the health and survival of these invaluable resources for future generations.

We urge the Administration to adopt the strongest possible measures for the protection and conservation of coral reef ecosystems, and stand ready to partner with you in designing and implementing an effective and global coral reef conservation strategy. Such measures could include the following:

  • Reauthorize the U.S. Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, including authorizing international coral reef conservation activities;
  • Enact meaningful reductions in carbon dioxide emissions that target CO2 concentrations to stabilize at levels climate scientists determine are necessary to preserve coral reef ecosystems;
  • Fund and lead domestic and international coral reef conservation efforts through NOAA, USAID, EPA, the Department of the Interior, and the State Department;
  • Support NOAA's priorities in reducing impacts to coral reefs from fishing and land-based sources of pollution;
  • Effectively conserve at least 30 percent of coral reef and reef-associated coastal resources in U.S. states and territories using marine managed areas over the next eight years; and
  • Provide more support for ocean education and citizen-science programs to create an educated public that understands and is committed to ocean conservation.

Reauthorize the U.S. Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000

The reauthorization of the Coral Reef Conservation Act must be a priority for the 111th Congress during 2009. The act was established in 2000 to preserve coral reef ecosystems, promote wise management, and obtain better information about the current condition of coral reefs. As a result of this act, millions of Americans have been educated about the coral reef crisis, research has documented the threats and damage, and large areas such as the Northwest Hawaiian Islands have been protected. It is critical to continue this work to give reefs any chance to survive and to expand similar strategies around the world by authorizing activities for international coral reef conservation.

Enact Meaningful Reductions in Carbon Dioxide Emissions that Target CO2 Concentrations to Stabilize at Levels Climate Scientists Determine are Necessary

In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions must be prioritized. Without action, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration is expected to exceed 500 parts per million (ppm) between 2050 and 2100, and global temperatures will likely rise by at least 2°C. Under these conditions, global warming and ocean acidification are predicted to damage and kill most reefs. We urge the federal government to take aggressive action to reduce emissions now-action that can serve as a benchmark for international leadership.

Fund and Lead Domestic and International Coral Reef Conservation Efforts through NOAA, USAID, EPA, the Department of the Interior, and the State Department

With the recent addition of the Marianas Trench, Pacific Remote Islands, and Rose Atoll Marine National Monuments, ensuring adequate capacity for management and monitoring of these and other domestic coral resources has never been more critical. The United States should also provide increased leadership in international and national coral reef conservation efforts. As increasing areas of reefs are damaged, tens of millions of people around the world will become desperate for food in countries that are critically important for global stability. Stopping coral reef destruction now and investing in conservation is an investment in global security.

Support NOAA’s Priorities in Reducing Impacts to Coral Reefs from Fishing and Land-based Sources of Pollution

Along with large-scale threats resulting from climate change, NOAA has identified land-based sources of pollution and impacts from fishing as priority areas for coral reef conservation. Land-based sources of pollution and poor water quality are recognized as two of the most important factors driving coral reef decline. In addition, rapid human population increases, growth of export fisheries, use of more efficient fishery gear, expansion of destructive fishing techniques, and inadequate management and enforcement have led to the depletion of not only keystone reef fish species, but also associated species and ecosystems. For these reasons, we recommend expanded funding and legislative capacity for NOAA to better manage recreational and commercial fisheries and land-based sources of pollution to meet coral reef conservation objectives.

Effectively Conserve at Least 30 Percent of Coral Reef and Reef-Associated Coastal Resources in U.S. States and Territories Using Marine Managed Areas over the Next Eight Years

Full protection of at least 30 percent of the planet’s coral reefs from human activities is a reasonable and realistic management goal that will allow reefs to thrive. On November 5, 2005, then President Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr., of Palau called on his peers to join him in the Micronesia Challenge to effectively conserve 30 percent of near-shore marine resources within marine protected areas by 2020. Similarly, Caribbean governments have called for 20 percent protection of marine and coastal habitats by 2020 in the Caribbean Challenge. We ask for the United States to join the many nations that recognize the importance of marine managed areas for effective coral reef conservation and provide the staff and funding needed for active research, monitoring, enforcement, and local management.

Provide More Support for Ocean Education and Citizen-Science Programs

By becoming educated about the value of coral reefs and threats to their survival, the public can become strong advocates for conservation and sustainability. One of the most effective means of education is a citizen-science program that turns hands-on experience into knowledge. As a leader in marine conservation, the new administration should provide increased support for ocean education and citizen-science programs in the United States and internationally.

Respectfully,

Signed by forty-four coral reef conservation groups and stakeholders, and one hundred and seventeen marine scientists and professionals, as follows:

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Forty-four coral reef conservation groups and stakeholders:

Steve LeGore
Executive Director
Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean
Holmes Beach, FL

Angelo Villagomez
Executive Director
Beautify CNMI
U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, NMI

Carl Safina, Ph.D.
President
Blue Ocean Institute
East Norwich, NY

David Godfrey
President
Caribbean Conservation Corporation
Gainesville, FL

Andrea A. Treece
Senior Attorney, Oceans Program
Center for Biological Diversity
Tucson, AZ

Dana Beach
Executive Director
Coastal Conservation League
Charleston, SC

Marjorie Ziegler
Executive Director
Conservation Council for Hawai'i
Honolulu, HI

Roger McManus Roger McManus, Ph.D.
Vice President for Marine Programs
Conservation International
Arlington, VA

Brian Huse
Executive Director
The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL)
San Francisco, CA

Dan Clark
President
Cry of the Water
Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Philippe Cousteau, Jr.
Co-founder and CEO
EarthEcho International
Washington, DC

David Reiner
President
Friends of the Everglades
Miami, FL

Ignacio V. Cabrera
Chairman
Friends of the Monument
Saipan, MP

Ed Saade
President
Fugro Earth Data
Frederick, MD

Robert Y. George Robert Y. George, Ph.D.
President and CEO
George Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability
Wilmington, NC

Phil Radford
Executive Director
Greenpeace USA
Washington, DC

Kristian Teleki
Director
International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN)
Cambridge, United Kingdom

Richard B. Aronson, Ph.D.
President
International Society for Reef Studies (ISRS)
Montgomery Village, MD

Miwa Tamanaha
Executive Director
KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance
Honolulu, HI

Carolyn Stewart
Executive Director
Malama Kai Foundation
Kamuela, HI

Elliott A. Norse, Ph.D.
President
Marine Conservation Biology Institute (MCBI)
Bellevue, WA

Bruce Stedman
Executive Director
Marine Fish Conservation Network
Washington, DC

Richard E. Dodge, Ph.D.
Executive Director
National Coral Reef Institute
Professor and Dean
Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center
Dania Beach, FL

Sarah Chasis Sarah Chasis
Senior Attorney and Director, Ocean Initiative
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
Washington, DC

Jed Livingstone
Vice President
NAUI Worldwide
Tampa, FL

Michael Stocker
Executive Director
Ocean Conservation and Research
Forest Knolls, CA

Maddalena Bearzi Maddalena Bearzi, Ph.D.
President
Ocean Conservation Society
Marina del Rey, CA

Michael F. Hirshfield, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President for North America and Chief Scientist
Oceana
Washington, DC

Drew Richardson, Ph.D.
President & Chief Operating Officer
PADI Worldwide
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

Jenny Miller Garmendia
Director
Project AWARE Foundation
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

Liz Foote
Executive Director
Project S.E.A.-Link
Wailuku, HI

Gregor Hodgson, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Reef Check Foundation
Pacific Palisades, CA

DeeVon Quirolo
Executive Director
Reef Relief
Key West, FL

Paul Clark
President
Save Our Seas
Hanalei, HI

Pat Rose
Executive Director
Save the Manatee Club
Maitland, FL

Dawn Martin
President
SeaWeb - Too Precious To Wear Campaign
Silver Spring, MD

Carl Pope
Executive Director
Sierra Club
San Francisco, CA

Robert Wintner
Executive Director
The Snorkel Bob Foundation
Kihei, HI

Chad Nelsen
Environmental Director
Surfrider Foundation
San Clemente, CA

Lewis Regenstein Lewis Regenstein
President
The Interfaith Council for the Protection of Animals and Nature
Atlanta, GA

Mark J. Spalding, Ph.D.
President
The Ocean Foundation
Washington, DC

Karen Eckert, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST)
Beaufort, NC

William M. Eichbaum
Vice President of Marine Portfolio
World Wildlife Fund-US (WWF)
Washington, DC

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One hundred and seventeen marine scientists and professionals, from twenty-eight states and territories:

(Affiliations are for identification only, and do not imply endorsement by the signers' institutions)

Alabama

  • Kelly L. Robinson, M.S., Dauphin Island Sea Lab, University of Southern Alabama, Alabama

Alaska

  • Jon Warrenchuk, M.S., Marine Conservation Coordinator, Oceana, Juneau, Alaska

American Samoa

  • Douglas Fenner, Ph.D., Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources, American Samoa

California

  • Richard F. Ambrose, Ph.D., Professor, University of California, Los Angeles, California
  • Murat Aydin, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine, California
  • Paul Barber, Ph.D., Recipient of Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, Associate Professor, University of California, Los Angeles, California
  • Maddalena Bearzi, Ph.D., President, Ocean Conservation Society, Marina del Rey, California
  • Peter Castro, Ph.D., California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California
  • Joseph J. Cech Jr., Ph.D., Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Fellow, American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists, Professor Emeritus of Fisheries Biology, University of California, Davis, California
  • Kristine Hartney, Ph.D., Professor of Biological Sciences, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California
  • Gregor Hodgson, Ph.D., Executive Director, Reef Check Foundation, Pacific Palisades, California
  • Steven G. Morgan, Ph.D., Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Bodega Marine Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science & Policy, University of California, Davis, California
  • Vicki Pearse, Ph.D., Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences, Former-President of the American Microscopical Society, Lifetime Achievement Award of the Western Society of Naturalists, University of California, Santa Cruz, California
  • Drew Richardson, Ph.D., President and Chief Operating Officer, PADI Worldwide, Rancho Santa Margarita, California
  • Mark A. Steele, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, California
  • Richard R. Vance, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, University of California, Los Angeles, California
  • Robert Warner, Ph.D., Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California

Colorado

  • Mel Cundiff, Ph.D., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado

Connecticut

  • Peter Auster, Ph.D., Fellow, The American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists, Fellow, Pew Fellows Program in Conservation and the Environment (1999), Ocean Hero, American Oceans Campaign (2002), University of Connecticut, Connecticut

District of Columbia

  • Kiho Kim, Ph.D., Member of the Ocean Studies Board of the National Academies, Councilor of the International Society for Reef Studies, Department of Biology, American University, Washington, District of Columbia
  • Michael F. Hirshfield, Ph.D., Chief Scientist , Oceana , Washington, District of Columbia
  • Mark J. Spalding, Ph.D., President, The Ocean Foundation, Washington, District of Columbia

Florida

  • Jamie Afflerbach, Research Assistant, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Diana Aranda, M.A. Candidate, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale-Davie, Florida
  • Andrew Baker, Ph.D., Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation (2008), Fellow, Explorers Club (2003), Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Andy Bakun, Ph.D., Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Roxane Boonstra, M.S. Candidate, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Kevin Brix, Ph.D. Candidate, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Laurent Cherubin, Ph.D., Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • David Conklin, M.A. Candidate, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Marie L. Cuvelier, Ph.D. Candidate, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Richard E. Dodge, Ph.D. , Executive Director , National Coral Reef Institute , Professor and Dean , Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center , Dania Beach, Florida
  • Andrew Esbaugh, Ph.D., Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Lynne Fieber, Ph.D., Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Sarah Frias-Torres, Ph.D., Marine Conservation Biologist, Ocean Research & Conservation Association, Fort Pierce, Florida
  • R. Grant Gilmore, Jr., Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Estuarine, Coastal and Ocean Science, Inc., Vero Beach, Florida
  • Peter Glynn, Ph.D., Recipient, International Society for Reef Studies Darwin Medal (1992), Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Silvia Gremes-Cordero, Ph.D. Candidate, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Neil Hammerschlag, Ph.D. Candidate, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • David Hastings, Ph.D., Marine Science, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Florida
  • Darrell A. Herbert, Ph.D., Southeast Environmental Research Center, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
  • Julie Hollenbeck, M.A. Candidate, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Paul Jones, Ph.D. Candidate, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Chris Langdon, Ph.D., Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • David Letson, Ph.D., Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Kay Loftus, Ph.D. Candidate, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Michael J. Lutz, Ph.D., Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
  • Steven J. Lutz, M.A., Consultant, Coral Reef Alliance, Research Assistant, Corals and Climate Change Laboratory, University of Miami, Key Biscayne, Florida
  • Sharanya Majumdar, Ph.D., Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Pierpaolo Marchesini, Ph.D. Candidate, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Liana Talaue McManus, Ph.D., Invited Associate, World Technology Society in the field of Environment (2006+), University of Miami, Miami, Florida
  • Gary K. Meffe, Ph.D., Editor, Conservation Biology, University of Florida, Florida
  • Sarah Mui, M.A. Candidate, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • John Parkinson, Ph.D. Candidate, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Gustav Paulay, Ph.D., Curator, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
  • Refik Orhun, Ph.D., Associate Scientist, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Samuel Reid, Ph.D., Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Michael Salmon, Ph. D., Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida
  • Michael S. Schmale, Ph.D., Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Rizki Sekti, M.S. Candidate, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Xaymara Serrano, Ph.D. Candidate, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Jennifer Shafer, Ph.D., Principal, Shafer Consulting, Sarasota, Florida
  • Nitzan Soffer, Ph.D. Candidate, Biscayne Bay Campus, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
  • Peter K. Swart, Ph.D., Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Fellow, Geological Society of London, Fellow, Geological Society of America, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Josi Taylor, Ph.D., Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Eric Uhlhorn, Hurricane Research Division, Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, Florida
  • Nancy Voss, Ph.D., Research Professor Emeritus, Director, Marine Invertebrate Museum, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
  • Herman Wirshing, Ph.D. Candidate, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida
  • Ian C Zink, M.S. Candidate, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Florida

Georgia

  • Dorinda G. Dallmeyer, J.D., Member, Council on Foreign Relations, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
  • Paul J. Ferraro, Ph.D., Senior Science Fellow, World Wildlife Fund, Visiting Scientist, Kathryn Fuller Science for Nature Fund, Department of Economics, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, Georgia

Guam

  • Laurie J. Raymundo, Ph.D., Member, NOAA Climate Change Working Group, Associate Professor of Biology, Marine Laboratory, University of Guam, Guam

Hawaii

  • Marlin Atkinson, Ph.D., Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Hawaii
  • Robert H. Richmond, Ph.D., Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation, Aldo Leopold Fellow in Environmental Leadership, Research Professor, Kewalo Marine Laboratory, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii
  • Brian Taylor, Ph.D., former Fulbright Fellow, Dean, School of Ocean & Earth Science & Technology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii

Illinois

  • Rudiger Bieler, Ph.D., Marine Biologist/Curator, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois
  • Michelle M. Croissier, Ph.D., Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois

Kansas

  • Gerald T. Lang, M.S., Research Associate, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Biology Instructor, Butler County Community College, Dorado, Kansas

Maine

  • Suzanne Arnold, Ph.D. Candidate, International Society for Reef Studies Fellow, University of Maine, Maine

Maryland

  • Richard B. Aronson, Ph.D., President, International Society for Reef Studies (ISRS), Montgomery Village, Maryland
  • John R. Cannon, Ph.D., Conservation Biologist, Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
  • Anthony Picciolo, Ph.D., NOAA consultant, Silver Spring, Maryland
  • Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, International Policy, Humane Society International, Gaithersburg, Maryland

Massachusetts

  • Les Kaufman, Ph.D., Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation (1990), Principal Investigator, Marine Area Management Science Program, Conservation International, Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
  • Robert D. Stevenson, Ph.D., Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts
  • Ron J. Etter. Ph.D., Professor, Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts
  • Frank Muller-Karger, Ph.D., Dean, School for Marine Science and Technology, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Massachusetts
  • Randi D. Rotjan, Ph.D., Joint Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Edgerton Research Laboratory, New England Aquarium, Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • Daniel Sher, Ph.D., Fullbright visiting scholar (2008), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Minnesota

  • Anne Wakeford Berry, M.A., M.S., unaffiliated consultant, Minnesota
  • Peter H. Raven, Ph.D., President, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Missouri
  • Fred Grassle, Ph.D., Recipient of 2009 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Earth and Environmental Science Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Jersey

Mississippi

  • Chet Rakocinski, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Coastal Sciences, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, University of Southern Mississippi, Ocean Springs, Mississippi

New Jersey

  • Michael F. Gross, Ph.D., Associate Provost for Academic Program Development, Professor of Biology, Georgian Court University, Lakewood , New Jersey
  • Meritxell Aldoma Rovira, B.A., Marine Science, Fairleigh Dickinson University, New Jersey
  • Judith S. Weis, Ph.D., Rutgers University, New Jersey
  • Louise Wootton, Ph.D., Boyer Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching, The Center for the Advancement of Teaching & Learning, Florida Community College at Jacksonville, Professor of Biology, Georgian Court University, New Jersey

New York

  • Daniel R. Brumbaugh, Ph.D., Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, New York
  • Carl Safina, Ph.D., President, Blue Ocean Institute, Pew Scholars Award in Conservation and the Environment. Pew Charitable Trusts (1991), "Genius" Fellowship, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation (2001), Senior Fellow Appointment, World Wildlife Fund (2003-present), George B. Rabb Medal, Chicago Zoological Society (2006), East Norwich, New York
  • Adrienne Simoes Correa, Ph.D., Columbia University, New York, New York

North Carolina

  • Karen Eckert, Ph.D., Executive Director, Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST), Beaufort, North Carolina
  • Robert Y. George, Ph.D., President and CEO, George Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability, Wilmington, North Carolina
  • Justin B. Ries, Ph.D., Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
  • Alina M. Szmant, Ph.D., Professor of Marine Biology, Coral Reef Research Program, Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina

Oregon

  • Mark Hixon, Ph.D., Helen Thompson Professor of Marine Conservation Biology, Department of Zoology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
  • Dawn Wright, Ph.D., Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Oregon State University, Oregon

Puerto Rico

  • Edwin A. Hernández-Delgado, Ph.D., United States Coral Reefs Task Force Award for Research Activities (2002), Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico
  • Ilse M. Sanders, Ph.D., Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico

Rhode Island

  • Heather Leslie, Ph.D., Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
  • Lucie Maranda, Ph. D., Associate Marine Research Scientist, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, Rhode Island

Texas

  • Melani Howard, M.S., Texas State University at San Marcos, San Marcos, Texas

Vermont

  • Craig M. Pease, Ph.D., Columnist, "Science and the Law" column for The Environmental Forum, Professor of Science and Law, Vermont Law School, South Royalton, Vermont

Virginia

  • Judith Lang, Ph.D., Scientific Coordinator, Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA), Recipient, Outstanding Public Awareness and Education Award, U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (2008), Ophelia, Virginia
  • Romuald N. Lipcius, Ph.D., Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow (2008), Professor of Marine Science, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia
  • Roger McManus, Ph.D., Vice President for Marine Programs, Conservation International, Arlington, Virginia

Washington

  • Elliott A. Norse, Ph.D., President, Marine Conservation Biology Institute (MCBI), Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation (1997), Recipient, Evergreen Award for service to the State of Washington, Recipient, Dr. Nancy Foster Award for Habitat Conservation, National Marine Fisheries Service (2009), Bellevue, Washington

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Download a PDF of the Recommendations »