The first General Meeting of the current International Coral Reef Initiative secretariat and the launch of the International Year of the Reef (IYOR) took place in Washington DC, US, from 22-25 January 2008.

IYOR is a worldwide campaign to highlight the importance of coral reef ecosystems and to motivate people to protect them. IYOR 2008 aims to: strengthen awareness about the ecological, economic, social and cultural value of coral reefs and associated ecosystems; improve understanding of the critical threats to coral reefs and generate both practical and innovative solutions to reduce these threats; and generate urgent action at all levels to develop and implement effective management strategies for conservation and sustainable use of these ecosystems.
Links to further information
International Year of the Reef website
ICRI general meeting website