A global collaborative research and training network has been established with centres for research and training in: UNAM Research Station in Puerto Morelos, Mexico, Institute of Marine Science, Zanzibar, Heron Island Research Station, Queensland and the Marine Science Centre, University of the Philippines.

These Centres of Excellence (COEs) will be supported at national research institutions or universities in each region to facilitate collaborative research and replicate experiment, as well as serve for platforms for training, seminars and learning exchanges among local and international scientists as well as knowledge exchanges between researchers, managers and government officials.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Each COE will serve as a regional centre for larger collaborative research workshops and longer term ecological surveys. COEs will provide logistical support for visiting CRTR research groups and routine ecological monitoring.
• The COE’s will host research workshops and seminars, training sessions and regional consultations and will serve as focal points for capacity building and interaction with local and regional entities, local communities, resource users, managers and government officials.
• A COE Representative will be appointed for each COE with the day-to-day responsibility and scientific oversight of COE field and lab activities. The COE representative will liaise directly, as appropriate, with all Working Group chairs, the PEA and the Synthesis Panel.
• Each COE will have a dedicated project staff (full time or part time) to assist, as appropriate, the COE Representative to organise local logistics, coordinate collaborative workshops, maintain CRTR equipment, maintain a calendar of CRTR working group research activities, liaise with working groups, organize scientific training and seminars, assist reporting to PEA, assist collation of information gathering and production of publications and information material, assist collation of routine environmental data and make available to CRTR partners.
• The COE is responsible for regional capacity building to local and regional managers, government agencies, NGO, education institution and similar public, as appropriate.
• Each centre will host and maintain shared CRTR field and laboratory equipment, complemented with research equipment residing with individual researchers. Some equipment may travel between the COE’s for cost-effectiveness.
• All working groups shall seek to maximise use of regional CRTR logistics for research workshops, seminars and trainings at each the relevant COE, enhancing cost-sharing and institutional capacities.