On 23 April 2025, the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) hosted an online meeting with its Regional Coordinators and Steering Committee Members to provide key updates on the production of the Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2025 report.

The meeting welcomed opening remarks from Dr Abdulaziz Al-Suwailem (ICRI Co-Chair, and GCRMN Steering Committee Co-Chair), and was facilitated by the GCRMN editorial team. The session offered a detailed update on the report’s development process and timelines.

Participants received an overview of the global synthetic database, which now includes data from 227 datasets, 66,000 surveys, and over 30,000 sites—a significant increase compared to the 2020 global report. Updates were also provided on ongoing data integration efforts in the Western Indian Ocean, East Asian Seas, and Eastern Tropical Pacific regions.

The editorial team outlined the timeline and process for regional chapter development, with a validated writing template to be circulated to all Regional Coordinators. Chapters will follow a phased approach, including region-specific content, data summaries, and modelled outputs. The Network aim to have the first regional chapter drafts in October 2025, with final drafts due by the end of the year.

Additionally, the team shared progress on the case study component of the report, with 23 submissions received to date. Selected case studies will be featured in full, while others may appear as shorter summaries with linked digital content.

The meeting reaffirmed the importance of coordination, inclusivity, and transparency in the production of the 2025 report, and the GCRMN looks forward to continued collaboration with its global network in the months ahead.

The GCRMN gratefully acknowledges that financial support for the production of the report by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and the General Organisation for the Conservation of Coral Reefs and Turtles in the Red Sea (SHAMS), with additional financial contributions from the Government of Monaco, the Government of Sweden, UNCDF and the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, UN Environment Programme and the MSC Foundation.