Reef Conservation UK
Zoological Society of London
Zoological Society of London
Reef Conservation UK (RCUK) is a networking group and annual meeting for reef scientists, conservationists and enthusiasts to discuss and collaborate on issues related to coral reef research and conservation. The community is increasingly expanding to include those who work on cold water coral ecosystems, as well as tropical coral reefs.
We hold an annual conference which opens the lines of communication through a series of presentations, posters and networking opportunities. Aside from the scheduled programme, this gathering is an excellent opportunity to meet fellow reef workers, and enthusiasts to discuss ideas and activities on an informal basis.
In December, we hosted the European Coral Reef Symposium at the University of Oxford, UK. Visit the ECRS pages for information on how we made ECRS sustainable and family friendly, and to view three inspirational plenary talks by Heather Koldeway, Barbara Brown and Madeline van Oppen.
Founding RCUK committee
Evolving out of the UK committee for the International Year of the Reef, RCUK was founded in 1997 and aimed to maximize communication between coral reef enthusiasts based within the UK, whilst minimising time and money required to gather together. The first RCUK conference was held in 1998 and attracted a great mix of students, academics and professionals, all sharing an enthusiasm for promoting reef awareness with the first ever conference programme stating:
“We hope this is the beginning of a sustained and continued effort to ensure that RCUK and the UK reef community maintain an active role in promoting conservation, public awareness and education about coral reefs”
Twenty one years later, our annual RCUK meeting at the Zoological Society of London has continued to grow. 2 years ago we hosted our first sell out event, and in the last year we hosted the European Coral Reef Symposium, which brought together over 550 reef enthusiasts from all over the world! Each year fosters a welcoming atmosphere and has developed some great traditions – most notably Guylian chocolate bars and (warm) beers in the aquarium!
Reef conservation is a major concern of several entities and enterprises, on different levels, Recently, we have seen a proliferation of PayPal slots that have the reef and its preservation as their main theme. Even PayPal itself, the colossus of online payments, has a dedicated fundraiser campaign where you can donate to the noble cause of reef conservation.
A great way to educate people on sensitive issues is through playing. With PayPal, not only can you contribute directly to the cause of reef conservation by donating – you can also use PayPal to play reef-themed slots such as Reef Run and Dolphin Reef, where you can learn about the marvelous creatures that inhabit the reef and have a great time spinning the reels searching for fabled sunken treasures.
And what if you land a winning? Well, in that case you will be able to be an even bigger contributor to the cause of reef conservation by donating part of your winnings directly!