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1. Home
2. About
3. NOS Fiscal Year 2022: Year in Review
4. Coral Reef Conservation Program

**Coral Reef Conservation Program** NOS Fiscal Year 2022: Year in Review *NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) was established in 2000 by the Coral Reef Conservation Act to protect, conserve, and restore the nation's coral reefs by maintaining healthy ecosystem function.*  NOAA Co-Leads 45th U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Meeting **SUPPORTS NOS PRIORITIES:** COASTAL RESILIENCE| NEW BLUE ECONOMY | CONSERVE, RESTORE, AND CONNECT CRCP and NOAA co-led the 45th meeting of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force in Kona,  Hawaii. NOS Assistant Administrator Nicole LeBoeuf co-chaired the meeting,  which highlighted working group steps to build partnerships, strategies, and  support for on-the-ground action to conserve coral reefs. During the meeting, the  Faga’alu Watershed in American Samoa was honored as the Watershed  Partnership Initiative’s first graduate in 2022. Following 10 years  of partnership, Faga’alu Watershed demonstrated ecological improvement and  established local capacity to monitor and manage future land-based sources of  pollution. Two recurring meeting themes were the power of federal, state, and  local comanagement of coral reef ecosystems and the incorporation of  traditional ecological knowledge into resource management. Multiple events,  sessions, and talks highlighted Hawaiian Indigenous communities and their connections to coral reefs. The task force was established in 1998 by executive  order to lead U.S. efforts to preserve and protect coral reef ecosystems and  includes leaders of 13 federal agencies; seven U.S. states, territories, and  commonwealths; and three freely associated states. Two grants were issued in Fiscal Year 2022, both focusing on  the spread of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease in the Caribbean. One of the grants went to Nova Southeastern University and Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute to treat diseased corals in the Dry Tortugas. The combined teams conducted a total of 265 dives covering an area larger than 146 football fields. A total of 6,038 corals were treated — more than doubling the total number of treated corals throughout the whole of Florida’s coral reef since intervention began in late 2018.  Four women at the task force meeting in Hawaii.*Staff from CRCP and the Department of the Interior gather for the 45th U.S. Coral Reef Task Force meeting in Hawaii, including CRCP Director Jennifer Koss (far left).*  Collaborative Mariana Islands Mission on NOAA Ship *Rainier* **SUPPORTS NOS PRIORITIES:** BLUE ECONOMY |CONSERVE, RESTORE, AND CONNECT In 2022, NOAA  completed a five-month expedition to the Mariana Islands on the NOAA Ship *Rainier.*This was the first NOAA mission  to combine very different and historically separate projects — mapping/charting  and coral reef ecosystem surveying. Known as RICHARD (Rainier Integrates  Charting, Hydrography, and Reef Demographics), the mission was dedicated to,  and in honor of, the late Admiral Richard Brennan, former director of the  Office of Coast Survey. Rick had an inspiring vision for the future of the NOAA  fleet and a forward-thinking, solutions-oriented approach to executing  one-NOAA, multidisciplinary science. The mission would not have been possible  without his leadership. The cruise was a  collaboration across NOS program offices and NOAA line offices. This exciting  mission gathered information on corals, fish, and seawater in remote Pacific  ecosystems and scanned the ocean floor using state-of-the-art technology to  create seamless maps of the seafloor. The cruise produced high-quality data,  products, and tools that benefit many applications, including habitat  conservation, tsunami modeling, marine resource management, and even national  security.  A close view of coral polyps.
*A close-up of the stony coral Galaxea fascicularis.*  NOAA Helps Hawaii Develop Herbivore Management Plan **SUPPORTS NOS PRIORITIES:** NEW BLUE ECONOMY | CONSERVE, RESTORE, AND CONNECT NOAA’s Pacific  Islands Managed and Protected Area Community provided technical assistance to  the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources to develop a sustainable herbivore  management plan. The plan identifies herbivores critical to reef resilience;  helps determine whether or not a fish species’ status is sustainable,  unsustainable, or lacks data; and recommends sustainable management strategies  where needed. Feedback from public scoping meetings will help decision-makers  add or revise regulations to promote sustainability and effective management of  nearshore resources (both herbivores and coral reefs), ensuring that there are  plenty of these fish now and for future generations. This plan contributes to  all four pillars of the Holomua Marine 30x30 Initiative, one of five  commitments of the Hawaii Sustainable Initiative.  ASeveral grey striped fish congregate in coral near the water’s surface. *Manini, or convict tangs, amongst finger coral in shallow water in Hawaii.*  Coral Reef Watch Provides Advanced Warnings of Bleaching **SUPPORTS NOS PRIORITIES:** CONSERVE, RESTORE, AND CONNECT Using models and satellite monitoring in near real time, NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch (CRW) provided advance warning of the mass bleaching event that followed the 2021-2022 severe heat stress event on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. CRW uses satellite, modeled, and in situ data to provide current reef environmental conditions to quickly identify areas at risk for mass coral bleaching. CRW collaborated directly with the Australian government and other key local stakeholders to coordinate information sharing between partners and to global media outlets. CRW is highly regarded by the global scientific research and management community for its scientific excellence and timely, open communication about changes in the marine environment that can impact coral reefs and the communities that rely on them.  A map of the Great Barrier Reef with colors indicating bleaching warnings and alerts.*NOAA Coral Reef Watch’s Daily Global 5km Satellite Bleaching Alert Area for Australia’s Great Barrier Reef uses an easy color-coded system to show heat stress and the risk of bleaching. This map shows the maximum heat stress experienced from December 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022.*  NOAA Plays Critical Role in International Coral Work **SUPPORTS NOS PRIORITIES:** COASTAL RESILIENCE | CONSERVE, RESTORE, AND CONNECT ICRI logo**
 CRCP continues to  represent NOAA in critical roles in international coral reef conservation and  restoration efforts. At the United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon,  Portugal, in June 2022, CRCP played a lead in more than a third of the 30 coral  special events and sessions. CRCP and the Department of State represent the  U.S. as chairs of the International  Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI). CRCP also acts as vice chair of the  Initiative Governance Committee within the Coral Research & Development Accelerator Platform.  NOAA is co-chair to the advisory board for the Global  Fund for Coral Reefs, with CRCP Director Jennifer Koss representing  NOAA and the ICRI at these meetings. NOAA is committed to advancing coral reef  conservation and restoration on a global scale by providing leadership across  multiple platforms.
 CRCP **Highlights** NOAA Co-Leads 45th U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Meeting Collaborative Mariana Islands Mission on NOAA Ship *Rainier* NOAA Helps Hawaii Develop Herbivore Management Plan Coral Reef Watch Provides Advanced Warnings of Bleaching NOAA Plays Critical Role in International Coral Work
  NOS **Accomplishments** NOS by the Numbers 2022  Browse by Office: Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services Coral Reef Conservation Program U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science National Geodetic Survey NOS Management and Budget NOS Information Management Office for Coastal Management Office of Coast Survey Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Office of Response and Restoration   **Search** Our facts    Get **Social** Social
  **Last updated:** 01/20/23 **Author:** NOAA How to cite this article Contact Us


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