10.18.01
Press Release

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) provided a major fillip for the project this week.

"The Quiksilver Crossing's recent discovery of some remaining high coral cover areas in the Maldives is a significant scientific finding and a validation of the scientific value of the Crossing," said Dr Hugh Kirkman, Ph D, the Coordinator of UNEP's East Asian Seas Regional Coordinating Unit (EAS/RCU).

"These healthy corals could help re-seed reefs on neighboring islands which were killed during the 1997-98 global bleaching event that was linked to global warming." Dr Kirkman said that on behalf of UNEP, they would like to thank Quiksilver for its valuable support of the Reef Check program.

"This support has proved highly effective in allowing Reef Check scientists to reach reefs in remote corners of the globe. No doubt additional valuable observations will be made and data collected over the coming years of the expedition," Dr Kirkman said.

Dr Gregor Hodgson said that at the meetings of the United Nations Environment Program, the Quiksilver Crossing has been highlighted as one of the major contributions of the private sector.

"Without the private sector the reefs are going to die, there's just no question whatsoever," Dr Hodgson said. "We can't rely on governments and the United Nations to solve the reef problems, it has to come from the community level."

The Reef Check program has two overall goals: To obtain a reliable scientific, rigorous assessment of the status of the world's coral reefs on a continuing basis year after year; and to educate the public and raise public awareness about the coral reef crisis and the value of coral reefs, and to try to involve the general public in actually managing coral reefs.

"We've been incredibly impressed with the amount of energy, the amount of effort and enthusiasm of the Quiksilver management team and the surfers involved in the Crossing," Dr Hodgson said. "It's been a tremendously productive collaboration in terms of our scientific as well as our educational goals."

Quiksilver International managing director, Bruce Raymond, said he believed the Quiksilver Crossing ignited a flame in people. "It has beautiful images and a sense of adventure; it takes you out of your world into one that people may never realise existed. That introduces people to the idea that they can go out and have so much fun in nature, and they don't need much more than a surfboard or a pair of swim fins, or whatever."

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