The Nature Conservancy in the Coral Triangle - Coral Triangle Initiative Summit

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Watch an audio slideshow about the Coral Triangle and learn more about what the Conservancy and partners are doing to protect the most diverse reefs on Earth.

“This is one of the most important conservation advances of all time.” — William Ginn, Chief Conservation Officer of The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is joining with supporters and partners around the world to celebrate a suite of stunning achievements for conservation of the planet's greatest concentration of coral reefs — the Coral Triangle.

At a summit in Manado, Indonesia on Friday, May 15, 2009, six governments launched the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) — an agreement that will fundamentally transform resource use and protection across the region. Heads of government of all six countries that lie in the Coral Triangle — Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, the Philippines, Timor Leste and Malaysia — resoundingly adopted the CTI, setting in motion a Regional Plan of Action that contains unprecedented goals and commitments for MPAs, fisheries protection and climate change adaptation.

These and other governments, including the U.S., pledged nearly $17 million in new funding for conservation of resources that sustain more than 120 million people. Indonesia created an 8.5 million acre Marine Protected Area (MPA) — now the largest in the Coral Triangle.

Explore all the good news from the Coral Triangle Initiative Summit here.

Vision and Commitments

The agreement adopted at the CTI Summit fundamentally transforms marine and coastal resource use and protection across the region.

The Savu Sea, Lesser Sundas and the Penidas

Why is this region important to endangered sea turtles, marine mammals and most of all, people?

Hope for Fish and People

Stories of hope from the village of Pere in Papua New Guinea.

Our Islands at Risk

Hear from native Micronesian Ben Namakin on the changes that are taking place to islands due to global climate change.

The Coral Triangle

Where is the Coral Triangle? And what is the Coral Triangle Initiative?

Marine Resilience

The Conservancy is helping create marine protected area networks that protect and restore the most resilient habitats.

Adapting to Climate Change

Find out how the Conservancy is helping natural areas adapt to the impacts of Climate Change

Coral Triangle Documents

PDFs of our handouts at the WOC and CTI Summit.

Dive Deeper

Check out a post on the Conservancy's Cool Green Science blog on Conservation by Convention Center and get an insiders look on what is was like to attend the conference and on the unprecedented commitments.

News on the WOC and CTI Summit

Read an article in the Jarkarta Globe about how the Conservancy is helping Fight to save the 'Amazon of the oceans".

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Jeff Yonover (Batfish and diver near the Raja Ampat Islands West Papua Province); Photo © Ami Vitale (Village children playing on the sand of a Micronesia beach.); Jordan Plotsky (Titans of the Coral Sea) ; Marthen Welly (Clown fish in Nusa Penidas);Photo © Jeff Yonover (Diver and coral in the Coral Triangle); Photo © Climate Witness (Ben Namakin) ;Photo © Mark Godfrey/TNC (Papua New Guinea); Photo © Christopher J. Crowley (Soft corals in Raja Ampat, Indonesia); Photo © Jeff Yonover (Hawksbill turtle); Photo © Jeff Yonover (Sea star on sea star).