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# Protecting Coral Reefs

## Corals Tutorial

Learn more about how sea surface temperature changes over time.

Coral reefs are some of the most biologically rich and economically  valuable ecosystems on Earth. They provide food, jobs, income, and  protection to billions of people worldwide. However, coral reefs and  the magnificent creatures that call them home are in danger of  disappearing if actions are not taken to protect them. They are  threatened by an increasing range of impacts including pollution,  invasive species, diseases, bleaching, and global climate change. The  rapid decline and loss of these valuable, ancient, and complex  ecosystems have significant social, economic, and environmental  consequences in the United States and around the world.

In 1998, the President of the United States established the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) to protect and conserve coral reefs. The USCRTF is  responsible for mapping and monitoring U.S. coral reefs; researching  the causes of coral reef degradation including pollution and overfishing and finding solutions to these problems; and promoting  conservation and the sustainable use of coral reefs. As a principal  member of the USCRTF, and as directed by the Coral Reef Conservation Act  of 2000, NOAA has the responsibility to conserve coral reef ecosystems.

NOAA’s coral reef conservation efforts are carried out primarily  through its Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP). Under this program,  NOAA works with scientific, private, government, and nongovernmental  organizations to achieve the goals of the CRTF.

Using high-resolution satellite imagery and Global Positioning  Satellite (GPS) technology, NOAA has made detailed digital maps of  reefs in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the eight main Hawaiian  Islands and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Satellite technology is  also used to detect harmful algal blooms that can smother reefs and to  monitor elevated sea surface temperatures, which can cause coral  bleaching.

For over 20 years, NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch has used remote sensing, modeling and on site data to study coral reef ecosystems worldwide. Coral Reef Watch provides the only global early-warning system of changes to coral reef environments, allowing NOAA to predict coral bleaching events. 

NOAA’s National Coral Reef Monitoring Program provides a framework for conducting long-term monitoring of biological, climatic, and socioeconomic indicators in U.S. coral reefs. The resulting data provide a strong picture of the condition of U.S. coral reefs and the communities that rely on them.

NOAA also monitors reefs using the Coral Reef Early Warning System  (CREWS). This system consists of buoys deployed at reef sites that  measure air temperature, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure,  sea temperature, salinity, and tide levels. Every hour, these data are  transmitted to scientists to help them understand conditions that may  cause bleaching of coral reefs. In addition to the monitoring work  conducted by satellites and buoys, NOAA conducts research, assessment,  and restoration projects of coral reefs in marine reserves and among  deep-sea coral banks. NOAA is also working to remove tons of marine  debris from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and restore damaged reefs.

While NOAA has always worked on coral restoration, the Coral Reef Conservation Program now focuses on restoration as an official program area. Active and targeted restoration by creating new ways to outplants many corals at once and other interventions will reduce the decline of coral populations and support coral reef ecosystems in changing environmental conditions.

Monitoring, research, and restoration all are essential to safeguard  coral reefs. However, to ultimately protect coral reefs, legal  mechanisms may be necessary. One legal mechanism involves the  establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs). Because MPAs have the  added force of law behind them, a protected marine enclosure — such as a  coral reef system — may stand a better chance for survival.

### Corals Lessons

              - Welcome
              - What are Corals?
              - Zooxanthellae What's That?
              - How Do Stony Corals Grow?
              - How Do Coral Reefs Form?
              - Where Are Coral Reefs Found?
              - How Do Corals Reproduce?
              - Importance of Coral Reefs
              - Natural Threats to Coral Reefs
              - Anthropogenic Threats to Corals
              - Coral Diseases
              - Protecting Coral Reefs
              - References
              - Roadmap to Resources 
              - Subject Review (PDF)

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