ICRS International Coral Reef Society

COP30 Brazil has made coral reef conservation a priority, calling for global cooperation to reduce emissions, address local threats, and restore reefs. Let’s act now to protect these precious ecosystems for future generations!

#MutiraoCOP30 #CoralReefConservation #SaveOurReefs

📢 Meet our plenary speakers for ICRS 2026!

The 16th International Coral Reef Symposium will showcase a distinguished lineup of experts who are leaders in advancing coral reef science.

We look forward to seeing you in New Zealand!

🎉 Announcing the ICRS 2024 Best Paper Awards!

After reviewing all 2024 publications, the Editorial Board selected an outstanding study that highlights the resilience of Indonesian reefs, the value of local-language science, and the need for more inclusive global research.

🌊✨ The John Ogden President’s Membership Award ✨🌊

The International Coral Reef Society (ICRS) is proud to announce the granting of 125 membership awards to coral reef scientists, managers, restoration practitioners, and policymakers from 30 developing nations!

Call for abstracts now open at: www.icrs2026.nz/call-for-abs...

Submissions are invited under approved sessions aligned eight broad Symposium themes.

You may submit an abstract as:
- Oral presentation
- Speed talk
- Poster

Deadline: Monday 1 December 2025, 11.59pm (New Zealand time).

FINAL REMINDER: Call for session proposals

Tēnā koutou katoa,

This is a final reminder that the deadline for session proposals for the 16th International Coral Reef Symposium, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand closes next week, on Weds JULY 16th 2025. Details are below.

Our apologies that Graduate Research Fellowship recipient, J. David Muñoz-Maravilla, University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico, was left off the list sent yesterday. Congratulations David!

Major US climate website likely to be shut down after almost all staff fired Exclusive: Climate.gov, which supports public education on climate science, will soon no longer publish new content

Unfortunately, turning off climate.gov won't turn off climate change.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Thank you to all nominees, nominators, and writers of letters of support. Thank you for all that you do to investigate, protect, and conserve coral reef ecosystems.

Dr. Christian Voolstra, ICRS President
Dr. Verena Schoepf, ICRS Honors and Awards Committee Chair

The recipients of the 2025 ICRS John Ogden President’s Award to attend the ICRS in New Zealand in 2026 are Daud Bin Awang, Department of Fisheries, Malaysia and Jose Adolfo Tortolero-Langarica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico

The 2025 class of ICRS Fellows is Ilsa Kuffner, United States Geological Survey, USA; Jacqueline Padilla-Gamino, University of Washington, USA; Alastair Harborne, Florida International University, USA

The recipients of the 2025 ICRS Graduate Research Fellowships are Eleanor Casement, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, Germany; Mu-Han Chen, Boston Univ; Ninon Martinez, Boston Univ; Marcelina Martynek, Univ of Pennsylvania; Manuja Promodya Hendawitharana, Gent Univ.

The recipients of the 2025 ICRS Ruth Gates Fellowships are Maya Powell, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, USA and Alexandra Pineda Munoz, National University of Colombia, Colombia

The recipient of the 2025 ICRS Science Communication Fellowship is Igor Pessoa, KAUST, Saudi Arabia

The winner of the 2025 ICRS World Reef Award is Ewout Knoester, Reefolution Kenya

The winner of the 2025 ICRS Coral Reef Conservation Award is Alma Paola Rodriguez-Troncosa, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico

The winner of the 2025 ICRS Early Career Award is Daniel Wangpraseurt, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, USA

The winner of the 2025 ICRS Mid-Career Award is Raquel Peixoto, KAUST, Saudi-Arabia

The winner of the 2025 ICRS Eminence in Research Award is Sean Connolly, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama

The Officers and Council of the International Coral Reef Society are pleased to announce the 2025 ICRS Award Winners:

6/6 We look forward to receiving your proposals and to your participation in what promises to be an inspiring and impactful conference.
Nā mātou noa, nā,
Prof. Simon Davy, Dr. Murray Ford & Dr. Stacy Jupiter
Organising Committee
2026 International Coral Reef Symposium

5/6 We strongly encourage submissions from delegates in developing nations, as we aim to foster a diverse and inclusive program.

4/6 Themes
5 Coral reef monitoring and assessment at scale
6 Modelling the trajectories of future reefs
7 Socio-ecological feedbacks: reef value, use, and stewardship
8 Innovations in reef conservation and intervention

3/6 Themes 1 Traditional knowledge and management
2 Historical perspectives on coral ecosystems
3 Cell and molecular biology of reef organisms
4 Coral reef ecology and connectivity

2/6 We are calling for session proposals around eight broad themes aligned to the symposium plenary speakers, though proposals on any aspect of coral reef science and/or management are welcome:

Call for Session Proposals

1/6 Call for session proposals

16th International Coral Reef Symposium, 19–24th July 2026, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand.
Session proposal deadline: Sunday 15th June 2025.
Details and submission link at www.icrs2026.nz/call-for-ses...

Reminder: ICRS is providing up to *ONE HUNDRED John Ogden President's Membership Award* for coral reef practitioners that are citizens of *low *and *middle income* nations.
Nomination form at <https://forms.gle/eJXoZGYa8Wb2tp3z7> Deadline: 31 May 2025.

We look forward to receiving your proposals and to your participation in what promises to be an inspiring and impactful conference.
Nā mātou noa, nā,
Prof. Simon Davy, Dr. Murray Ford & Dr. Stacy Jupiter
Organising Committee
2026 International Coral Reef Symposium

We strongly encourage submissions from delegates in developing nations, as we aim to foster a diverse and inclusive program.

4/6 Themes
5 Coral reef monitoring and assessment at scale
6 Modelling the trajectories of future reefs
7 Socio-ecological feedbacks: reef value, use, and stewardship
8 Innovations in reef conservation and intervention