During the remarks from Tim Worth (Under Secretary of State, U.S Department of State, 1994) at the First Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), on December 7th 1994, it was stated that “Coral reefs serve as natural indicators of the health of coastal zones, have been cited as possible indicators of climate change, and are valued contributors to economies the world over through their contributions to recreation and tourism. Indeed, their biological and economic richness has led many to observe that coral reefs are the rainforests of the ocean.” And in response to pressures placed on coral reefs and prompted by concerns for their future, the International Coral Reef Initiative was established by eight founding Nations – Australia, France, Jamaica, Japan, the Philippines, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.