Blue Pangolin Consulting was contracted by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), host institution of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), to support the production, publication, and policy uptake of the Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2025 report.
The report was launched on 31 August 2026 at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, Palau, after 3 years of work. These efforts resulted in the production of the most comprehensive assessment of the world’s coral reefs to date with more than 40 years of global data from 21.1 million observations, 87,299 surveys, representing 36,886 sites across 124 countries, territories and economies. As part of this assignment, Francis and Tom sit on the report’s Editorial Team.
The contract built on work under way since late 2023 on the collation, standardisation, and integration of reef monitoring data from across the global network, and fundraising to support the production of the report including from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Government of Monaco, the Government of Sweden, and the MSC Foundation.
A second strand of work runs to March 2027, with Margaux as co-chair to the GCRMN Policy and Communications Taskforce, working in partnership with an AIMS-appointed communications specialist. The first time such a Taskforce has been established, the aim is to translate the report’s findings into decision-ready messaging, including the Global Summary for Policymakers, regional summaries for policymakers, Science-to-Action briefs and coordinate inputs across GCRMN members, regional nodes, and partner institutions. Margaux will continue to support the integration of the Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2025 into further events and conventions as opportunities are identified through 2026 and 2027, from Rio Convention Conferences of the Parties to national and regional reef management processes.
The Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2025 was externally reviewed, for the very first time, by the International Coral Reef Society (ICRS).
The following key objectives and deliverables include:
- The Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2025 report production and its launch, including the coordination and review of report chapters and components.
- Management of the GCRMN website (www.gcrmn.net), including report news and report component webpages.
- Establishment and co-chairing of the GCRMN Policy and Communications Taskforce.
- Policy messaging framework and written policy inputs, including coordinating the Global Summary for Policymakers, and Regional Summary Policy Makers, as well as developing “science-to-action” briefs for the CBD Global Biodiversity Framework and UNFCCC.
This project builds on Blue Pangolin Consulting’s long-standing history with the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network.
