Our Programs | Coral
The Coral Reef Conservation Program
The Coral Reef Conservation Program helps to protect important reef ecosystems.
The Coral Reef Conservation Program was established by the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 to help protect important reef ecosystems. The Program brings together expertise from many NOAA offices for a multidisciplinary approach to managing and understanding coral reef ecosystems. This approach includes coral reef mapping, monitoring, research, training, management, outreach and education to provide information and tools that help solve key coral reef management issues.
The Program facilitates and supports partnerships with scientific, private, government, and non-governmental groups at local, state, federal, and international levels. Areas of focus include the U.S. Pacific region (e.g. American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and Hawaii), U.S. Atlantic/ Caribbean region (Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and international areas (including the three Freely Associated States: the Federal States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau). Additionally, the Program supports three coral reef institutes, one each in Florida, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii.
Two external grants programs, mandated by the Coral Reef Conservation Act, are coordinated by the Program: the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grants Program (Grants Program) and the Coral Reef Conservation Fund (Coral Fund). The Grants Program makes available matching grants in six categories to government agencies, non-government organizations and academic institutions; the Grant Program has awarded over $21 million (M) to these entities from 2002 through 2005.
The Coral Fund is administered jointly by the Program and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to help build public-private partnerships to reduce and prevent degradation of coral reefs and associated reef habitats (e.g. seagrass beds, mangroves etc.). As of 2006, the Foundation has leveraged $5.7 M in funds from NOAA, the Foundation, the Department of the Interior, and non-federal partners with $9.5 M in non-federal resources via the grantees. Through these partnerships, the Fund was able to provide more than $15 M to 140 coral conservation projects in 35 countries, eight U.S. territories or commonwealths, and four U.S. states.
Serving as the Secretariat for the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, the Program helps coordinate coral reef conservation efforts across 12 federal agencies, seven states and territories in the U.S. Pacific and Atlantic/Caribbean regions, the three Freely Associated States, and with many other partners. NOAA and the Task Force support the seven U.S. jurisdictions in their efforts to develop and implement three-year Local Action Strategies (LAS) to conserve and better manage coral reefs. The LAS were developed through a collaborative, stakeholder-driven process to address major threats to coral reef ecosystems, such as land-based pollution, overfishing, and recreational overuse.
For additional information, contact coralreef@noaa.gov.