What is the Coral Triangle Day and why are we celebrating it on June 9?

The Coral Triangle Day is envisioned to be an annual, open-sourced event that brings together individuals, organizations, and establishments on one special day of the year to shed light on ocean conservation and the numerous ways to protect and conserve the Coral Triangle.

 The event will be celebrated in countries in Coral Triangle region - Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste, through numerous activities including but not limited to: beach clean-ups; sustainable seafood dinners and exhibitions; bazaars; and beach parties, among others—all carrying the message of ocean conservation under the overall banner of the Coral Triangle Day.

The first Coral Triangle Day was celebrated on June 9, 2012 in conjunction with World Oceans Day which is celebrated every year on June 8. The goal of the Coral Triangle Day is to position the Coral Triangle as a globally-significant eco-region—a modern day icon of the natural world so that millions of people learn more about its significance to their everyday lives and are empowered to take specific actions to help conserve and protect this natural treasure.

The theme or main message of the Coral Triangle Day in 2013 is: Shared Waters, Shared Solutions: Coming Together as One for the World's Centre of Marine Life—The Coral Triangle. The confluence of seas in this region that flawlessly sew and hem one country to another is what forms the panoramic tapestry of diverse cultures and traditions in the Coral Triangle. This theme will highlight the common lifeblood that binds the Coral Triangle countries together into one spectacular region and espouse a spirit of camaraderie among people to collectively protect and conserve this shared treasure.

The Coral Triangle Day is intended to be an open-sourced event where any individual, organization, or establishment can organize anything they want in relation to the Coral Triangle in particular, and ocean conservation in general.  Examples of events or activities on this day are: beach clean-ups; sustainable seafood dinners and exhibitions; bazaars; fashion shows; ocean film festivals; beach parties; and many more.

All activities happening around the region on this day will be prominently featured online at www.thecoraltriangle.com/day supplemented by regional publicity and social media.

 Paolo Mangahas
 Communications Manager
 WWF Coral Triangle Programme
 pmangahas@wwf.org.my