The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) Steering Committee met online in September 2025 under the co-chairmanship of Dr. Abdulaziz Alsuwailem, representing the General Organisation for the Conservation of Coral Reefs and Turtles in the Red Sea (SHAMS), current Chair of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), and Dr Manuel Gonzalez-Rivero from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) – the GCRMN’s Global Coordinator. Dr Abdulaziz opened the meeting by acknowledging the collective progress achieved by the network and reaffirmed ICRI’s commitment to strengthening coral reef monitoring and data-driven management worldwide.
The meeting gathered GCRMN regional coordinators, core team members, and partners to review progress toward the Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2025 report, which will be the most comprehensive global coral reef assessment to date.
Dr Gonzalez-Rivero presented key coordination updates, including the completion of actions from the previous meeting and his introduction as the new GCRMN Global Coordinator, marking an important step in strengthening operational capacity. He also outlined progress on the global report, noting that over 21 million monitoring observations from more than 35,000 sites have been compiled, representing a threefold increase from the 2020 report. These data will underpin the most robust analysis of coral reef trends ever produced by the network.
Tom Dallison and Jeremy Wicquart provided a detailed update on the global report’s production, covering the analytical design, regional chapter development, and inclusion of case studies. The Editorial Team has been testing multiple statistical modelling approaches to identify the most suitable framework for analysing reef trends globally. Preliminary modelling results are expected shortly, with the first draft of regional chapters due by 31 October 2025.
Regional Coordinators from the Pacific, Caribbean, and the Western Indian Ocean provided updates on their respective chapters, noting progress in data compilation, author contributions, and preliminary analyses. Each region emphasised the importance of ensuring inclusive authorship, with data contributors invited to co-write or review their chapters.
The Committee also discussed the growing portfolio of case studies, ranging from community-led management and restoration to economic valuation and resilience-based planning, that will enrich the report’s policy relevance. Members welcomed the ongoing collaboration with the International Coral Reef Society (ICRS) to provide external peer review of both the analytical methods and final report.
A major point of discussion was the expected establishment of the new GCRMN Communications and Policy Task Force, proposed to guide the dissemination and policy impact of the 2025 report. The Task Force will seek to develop a comprehensive communications strategy, summary for policymakers and policy briefs to ensure the findings inform decision-making at national, regional, and global scales.
In the “Other Business” session, members discussed the future cadence of Steering Committee meetings and upcoming opportunities for engagement, including the 16th International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) to be held in Auckland, New Zealand, in July 2026.
Dr Abdulaziz closed the meeting by commending the strong collaboration across the GCRMN and reaffirmed SHAMS’ commitment as ICRI Chair to advancing the network’s global mission.
