ROOKERY
BAY NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE —
The Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is located
in southwest Florida on the Gulf of Mexico, one of the fastest
growing metropolitan areas in the nation. Prior to its designation
by NOAA in 1978, the core lands surrounding Rookery Bay were
the focus of a community effort that led to its protection
as a sanctuary. Now celebrating its 25th year in
operation, RBNERR comprises approximately 110,000 acres.
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U.S.
CORAL REEF TASK FORCE MEETS IN WASHINGTON, D.C. , TO PROVIDE
PROGRESS REPORT ON ACTION PLAN TO CONSERVE CORAL REEFS
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As the "rain forests of the sea," coral reefs provide
services estimated to be worth as much as $375 billion each
year, a staggering figure for an ecosystem covering less than
one percent of the Earth's surface. Despite this, an estimated
27 percent of the world’s reefs have already been lost
or severely damaged and another 58 percent are still threatened.
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