Building on Legacy recognises the foundations created through more than two decades of APCRS, alongside decades of coral reef research, long-term monitoring, conservation and management, traditional and local knowledge, institutional experience and regional collaboration. This legacy provides not only a record of what has been learned, but a foundation from which to respond to present and emerging challenges.
About
About APCRS 2027
The Asia-Pacific Coral Reef Symposium is a major regional forum dedicated to coral reef science, conservation and management. Established in 2006, it brings together researchers, practitioners, managers, policymakers and other stakeholders from across one of the most diverse and important coral reef regions in the world.
APCRS provides a platform to share new research, address emerging challenges, exchange knowledge and experience, and strengthen connections across countries, disciplines and sectors. By bringing together the region’s coral reef community, the symposium helps build collaborations and ensure that regional perspectives and priorities contribute to the conservation and sustainable management of coral reefs.
The 6th Asia-Pacific Coral Reef Symposium will be held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, from 21–25 June 2027, bringing APCRS back to the Coral Triangle. The symposium will provide an opportunity to take stock of progress, identify critical knowledge and implementation gaps, and strengthen the partnerships needed to address the challenges facing coral reefs and the people who depend on them.
The APCRS Journey
Since the first APCRS was held in Hong Kong in 2006, the symposium has travelled across the Asia-Pacific, bringing the region’s coral reef community together through successive gatherings in Thailand, Taiwan, the Philippines and Singapore. Each symposium has contributed new knowledge, connections and momentum to the regional coral reef community. In 2027, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, will host the 6th APCRS and the next chapter of this continuing journey.
- 1
2006
Hong Kong
Chinese University of Hong Kong
- 2
2010
Phuket, Thailand
Ramkhamhaeng University
- 3
2014
Pingtung, Taiwan
National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium
- 4
2018
Cebu, Philippines
Hosted by local partners
- 5
2023
Singapore
National University of Singapore
- 6
2027
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Reef Futures: Building on Legacy
The theme of APCRS 2027, Reef Futures: Building on Legacy, reflects both continuity and change, recognising what has been achieved while asking how accumulated knowledge and experience can be translated into more effective action for coral reefs.
Reef Futures looks ahead. As coral reefs face increasingly complex environmental and societal pressures, scientific knowledge must connect more effectively with management, policy and action. New technologies, approaches and innovations offer important opportunities, but their value ultimately depends on how well knowledge can be applied to support reefs and the communities that depend on them.
APCRS 2027 therefore seeks to strengthen connections across science, management, policy and communities, bringing different forms of knowledge, experience and perspectives into conversation. By learning from the past while looking forward, the symposium asks not only what we know, but how what we know can help shape better reef futures.
Coming soon
Organising Committee
Scientific Committee
APCRS 2027 Steering Committee
Organisers & Supporters
Code of Conduct