"Conserving the Nation's Living Marine Ecosystems"
Mission Statement:
NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries
Service, NMFS) is a steward of living marine resources for the
benefit of the nation. To help accomplish this mission the Ecosystem
Assessment Division works with partners such as our science centers
and regional 
offices,
Regional Fishery Management Councils, and state and territory
governments, to develop and apply interdisciplinary approaches
to studying, monitoring, and managing integrated marine and estuarine
systems.
- Managing NMFS-wide research, mapping, monitoring, and protection of U.S. coral reef resources;
- Identifying cold-water coral resources and developing conservation measures to reduce adverse bottom fishing impacts;
- Characterizing fish habitats within watershed and coastal systems;
- Developing strategies to mitigate the impact of international trade on coral reef species; and
- Developing new initiatives to address the impacts of marine
debris and invasive species in marine habitats.
A major element of Ecosystem Assessment Division responsibilities is managing NMFS involvement in the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP). The NOAA CRCP is a cross NOAA partnership that supports effective management and sound science to preserve, sustain and restore valuable coral reef ecosystems. The NOAA CRCP works with government, private, academic, and other nongovernmental partners to reduce the loss and degradation of coral reef ecosystems and serves as the Secretariat for the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force.
- Preserve, sustain, and restore the condition of reef ecosystems and species that depend on them;
- Improve our understanding of the diversity, population dynamics, and biology of commercially important coral reef species, ecosystem linkages and habitat utilization patterns;
- Obtain sound scientific information needed to manage coral reef ecosystem; and
- Promote the wise management of coral reef fisheries and sustainable use of coral reef resources for the benefit of local communities and the Nation.
The NMFS Coral Reef Conservation activities
increase our understanding of coral reef ecosystems to enhance
ecosystem-based management, assess the effectiveness of management
regimes in promoting species recovery, and support state, territory
and Fishery Management Councils' management and research needs.
