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HomeAboutNOS Fiscal Year 2016 Year in Review

# Coral Reef Conservation Program

## NOS Fiscal Year 2016 Year in Review

## Science evaluation to inform future investments 

            -  **Supports NOS priority**: coastal intelligence, coastal resilience,  place-based conservation 

  This year, the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program completed a science evaluation to gain a better understanding of how the data, tools and products it provides are used by stakeholders. A panel of leading coral reef experts provided input to the program on the accessibility of the information to coral reef managers and policy makers, how helpful these products are for coastal management decision makers, and how the data, information, and products are being used to support coral reef conservation. This review covered NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program-funded ecosystem science only.  Reports from the panelists and the program's response, including an action plan based on panelists' recommendations, will soon be available on the program's web site.

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## NOAA plays a key role at the 13th International Coral Reef Symposium—bridging science to policy

            -  **Supports NOS priority**: coastal intelligence, coastal resilience,  place-based conservation 

NOAA’s coral reef research portfolio was well represented at the 13th International Coral Reef Symposium in Honolulu Hawaii

NOAA’s  coral reef research portfolio was well represented at the 13th International  Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) in Honolulu Hawaii with researchers joining  sessions and media events on the conservation, restoration, policy, and science  of coral reef and associated habitats. ICRS organizers also hosted a Leader’s  Summit with the presidents of the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and  Republic of the Marshall Islands. These leaders issued a call to action  requesting increased collaboration between the scientific community and local  governments, acknowledging there needs to be more funding and a strengthened  commitment to protecting coral reefs. ICRS is the largest international meeting  focused on coral reef science and management. It was hosted by the  International Society for Reef Studies and was sponsored by the NOAA Coral Reef  Conservation Program. The symposium takes place every four years. 

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## Partnership critical to coral reef ecosystem conservation in Asia-Pacific

            -  **Supports NOS priority**: coastal intelligence, coastal resilience,  place-based conservation 

A NOAA scientist works with the Philippines Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to ground truth light signatures of fishing lights detected using visible infrared imaging technology.

2016  marked the third year of a $20 million dollar partnership between NOAA and the  USAID Regional Development Mission for Asia to strengthen local marine  conservation in an area with some of the planet’s most diverse marine habitats.  NOAA provided trainings on: 
          - Ecosystem approaches to fisheries management in the Philippines,
          - Marine protected area management in the Philippines and Indonesia, 
          - Development of sustainable marine tourism in Indonesia, and 
          - Methods and technologies, like visible infrared imaging, to enhance  marine enforcement in the Philippines and Indonesia.

The  NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program coordinates the agency’s engagement in  international coral reef issues. NOS, NMFS, OAR, and NESDIS play a key role in  implementing the trainings that are core parts of this five-year partnership  with USAID. 

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## Coral reefs and conservation science make headlines around the globe 

            -  **Supports NOS priority**: place-based conservation 

The redesigned www.coralreef.noaa.gov now makes learning about NOAA’s coral reef research easier.

Educating  the public on the value of coral reef ecosystems and the threats they face in a  changing environment is key to their conservation. In 2016, the NOAA Coral Reef  Conservation Program continued efforts to engage the public in order to move  the conservation needle in a positive direction. In the spring, the program  launched its newly redesigned web site, www.coralreef.noaa.gov. With web stories, featured data products from  the Coral Reef Information System, and a multimedia library, the site lets  visitors dive right into what the NOAA coral reef research community is doing  on the ground and in the water. The program also joined the Twittersphere,  highlighting the latest news, findings, images and videos on @NOAACoral, and grew its following on Facebook to over  50,000 supporters. Successful efforts to draw media attention to the ongoing  threat of coral bleaching and what the agency is doing to address it continued  with press conferences, interviews with the media, the development of  infographics, and a popular “Ask Us Anything” session on “Coral bleaching and  why there’s hope”, that drew over 7.6 million Redditors.

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## Data highlights status and trends in  coral reef  health 

            -  **Supports NOS priority**: coastal intelligence, coastal resilience,  place-based conservation 

A diver collects data on the condition of coral reefs in the Mariana Islands

Scientists  collected biological, climatic, and socioeconomic data in 2016 to measure  changes in U.S. coral reef ecosystems as part of the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program. In the Hawaiian Archipelago, NOAA scientists conducted hundreds  of fish and benthic surveys and recovered and re-deployed instruments to assess  impacts of ocean acidification and warming. In the Atlantic, scientists  gathered similar data at sites in Puerto Rico and Florida. Social science  researchers focused on the connections between coral reef ecosystems and  people, their communities and economies by completing resident surveys in Guam  and the Northern Marianas Islands. Satellite remote sensing provided data  across all U.S. reef areas, filling gaps between field sampling sites. The  National Coral Reef Monitoring Program is an integrated and focused monitoring  effort with partners across the U.S. and its territories. Outcomes will help  managers, decision makers, and communities better understand the condition of  their resources and take effective place-based conservation actions.

###### CRCP **Highlights**

            - **Science evaluation to inform future investments
            - **NOAA plays a key role at the 13th International Coral Reef Symposium—bridging science to policy
            - **Partnership critical to coral reef ecosystem conservation in Asia-Pacific
            - **Coral reefs and conservation science make headlines around the globe
            - ** Data highlights status and trends in the coral reef health

###### **NOS Accomplishments**

          -  Fiscal Year 2016 Highlights
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          -  Coastal Resilience Priority
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          -  Place-Based Conservation Priority
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          -   YOU ARE HERE: Coral Reef Conservation Program
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