World Conservation Monitoring Centre

The World Conservation Monitoring Centre provides information services on the conservation and sustainable use of species and ecosystems, and supports others in the development of their own information systems.
The Centre was founded in 1988 by IUCN - The World Conservation Union, UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme,
and WWF -- World Wide Fund for Nature.

Chairman: Rudolph Agnew
Chief Executive: Dr. Mark Collins

1998 International Year of the Ocean activities

The WCMC 's Marine and Coastal Programme is producing three publications as contributions to the International Year of the Ocean:

Global Status of Seagrasses and Seagrass Habitats

WCMC, in conjunction with IUCN, will address the need to gather information and raise awareness on the global status of seagrass habitat, its management and biodiversity. This project will provide leadership and coordination of efforts to increase the data and capacity for seagrass habitat conservation worldwide. WCMC and IUCN will develop a global network of experts to assess
seagrass habitat distribution and status in both tropical and temperate areas, and produce a database and report as the basis for improved conservation and management efforts.

A Definitive CD ROM Atlas of Maritime Boundaries

With the entry into force of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in November 1994, over a third of the world's ocean space now potentially falls under state jurisdiction. An understanding of 'who owns what where' is of critical importance to policymakers and practitioners in the following areas: (i) coastal zone management, (ii) fisheries management, (iii) hydrocarbon
and seabed mineral exploration and extraction, (iv) shipping and transportation (including underwater pipelines), (v) security and defence planning, and (vi) international marine affairs and economics. Maritime limits and boundaries are therefore important reference, regulatory and legal tools for both commercial and conservation activities.\

World Atlas of Coral Reefs

A detailed, high quality, illustrated Atlas of Coral Reefs, probably the best-known and economically most important of all manne ecosystems. T e pro uct wi provide planners, scientists, decision makers and the corporate sector (principally development and tourism concerns) with a key reference tool. The work will also be highly attractive to a wider public audience through the visual beauty of the photography and art-work and a clear, informative text.