A/RES/62/215 seamounts, cold water corals, hydrothermal vents and certain other underwater features; 110. Calls upon States and international organizations to urgently take further action to address, in accordance with international law, destructive practices that have adverse impacts on marine biodiversity and ecosystems, including seamounts, hydrothermal vents and cold water corals; 111. Reaffirms the need for States to continue their efforts to develop and facilitate the use of diverse approaches and tools for conserving and managing vulnerable marine ecosystems, including the possible establishment of marine protected areas, consistent with international law and based on the best scientific information available, and the development of representative networks of any such marine protected areas by 2012; 112. Notes the work of States, relevant intergovernmental organizations and bodies, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, in the assessment of scientific information on, and compilation of ecological criteria for the identification of, marine areas that require protection, in light of the objective of the World Summit on Sustainable Development to develop and facilitate the use of diverse approaches and tools such as the establishment of marine protected areas consistent with international law and based on scientific information, including representative networks by 2012;9 113. Acknowledges, in this regard, the Micronesia Challenge, the Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape project and the Caribbean Challenge, which in particular seek to create and link domestic marine protected areas to better facilitate ecosystem approaches, and reaffirms the need for further international cooperation in support of such initiatives; 114. Notes the work of the scientific experts’ workshops on ecological criteria and biogeographic classification systems for marine areas in need of protection, held in Azores, Portugal, from 2 to 4 October 2007, 60 on biogeographic classification systems in open ocean and deep seabed areas beyond national jurisdiction, held in Mexico City from 22 to 24 January 2007, and on criteria for identifying ecologically or biologically significant areas beyond national jurisdiction, held in Ottawa from 6 to 8 December 2005; 61 59F 60F 115. Also notes the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment synthesis reports and the urgent need to protect the marine biodiversity expressed therein; 116. Reiterates its support for the International Coral Reef Initiative, takes note of the International Coral Reef Initiative General Meeting, held in Tokyo from 22 to 24 April 2007, and the upcoming eleventh International Coral Reef Symposium, to be held in Fort Lauderdale, United States of America, in July 2008, supports the work under the Jakarta Mandate on Marine and Coastal Biological Diversity and the elaborated programme of work on marine and coastal biological diversity related to coral reefs, and notes that the International Coral Reef Initiative is sponsoring the International Year of the Reef 2008; 117. Expresses its concern that coral bleaching has become more frequent and severe throughout tropical seas over the last two decades, and highlights the need _______________ 60 61 20 See UNEP/CBD/EWS.MPA/1/2. See A/AC.259/16, annex.