2006 General Coral Reef Conservation Awards
The General Coral Reef Conservation Program is a matching grants program within the broader NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program authorized by the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000. The program funds coral reef conservation projects that are consistent with the goals of the Act and the National Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs. In 2006, NOAA provided $499,963 to support universities and non-governmental organizations for projects that preserved, sustained and restored coral reef ecosystems, promoted wise management and sustainable use, developed sound scientific information about coral reef resources, or increased public awareness. Eleven awards were made under the General Coral Reef Conservation Program leveraging over $756,000.
Monitoring and Assessment of Coral Reefs or Reef Resources
- Yap Community Action Program, in
collaboration with the Yap State Environmental Protection Agency
and Marine Resources Management Division will establish a long-term
coral
reef monitoring program for the State of Yap, Federated States
of Micronesia.
This project will involve a collaboration between government
agencies, local communities, and outside agencies and organizations
to monitor the health and threats to the coral reefs around
the main island of Yap. Data will be used to develop a public
education and awareness program to promote conservation at
the community level.
- The Nature Conservancy - Eastern Caribbean Program (TNC)
will inventory, assess, and map elkhorn coral in priority locations
off St.
Thomas and in the East End Marine Park on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin
Islands. TNC will determine the distribution of colony size
classes and
coral
diseases in order to assess the status of the species and potential
for recovery and restoration. This project will result in a
territory-wide assessment of elkhorn coral and will establish
fundamental
knowledge about condition of this species in the U.S. Virgin
Islands.
- The Ocean Research and Education Foundation (OREF)
will increase accessibility of the AGGRA databases and
enhanced its use through
a web-based interface that will allow users to do
parameterized queries to generate custom reports.
OREF will:
- Convert Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment data into Geographic Information System layers for easy incorporation with other spatial data;
- Augment current site attributes with improved habitat information (local on shelf, reef type, zone, and slope) and protection status;
- Calculate baseline norms using collected data at various spatial and temporal scales;
- generate reef health indices to assess overall condition of comparable reef systems; and
- Using sampling design methodology to asses optimal benthos sampling size and suggested locations for future assessments.
Marine Protected Areas and Associated Management Activities
- The Ocean Conservancy will
provide the U.S. Virgin Islands with the basic framework to
ensure effective
protection of coral reefs and associated systems. TOC will
assess the ecological and socioeconomic aspects of USVI's
17 marine protected areas with regard to management priority.
- The Nature Conservancy - Eastern Caribbean
Program will conduct extensive stakeholder analysis
on the three islands of St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John
to obtain
relevant data pertaining to local marine threats and conservation
targets. Collected data will be combined with other information
to support analysis of existing MPA's in relation to their
functionality as a territory wide marine park system. The results
of the analysis provide management agencies with information
on gaps within the territory wide marine park system.
- Surfrider Foundation will continue the multi stakeholder process to develop a management plan for the Reserva Marina Tres Palmas. Surfrider will conduct hands-on education and outreach activities targeting local communities and government agencies to raise awareness and understanding of coral reef ecosystems and to change behaviors that are harmful to coral reefs. Surfrider will study the economic benefit the reefs provide to the local Rincon economy through tourist-based surfing activities.
Coral Reef Fisheries Management
- The Environment, Inc. working with local agencies and non-governmental organizations including a traditional women's group will study sea cucumbers, Stichopus variegatus, Actinopyga miliaris, Holothuria scabra, embedded giant clams, Tridacna crocea and T. maxima, the free living clam, Hippopus hippopus, the spider shell, Lambis lambis and the sea urchin, Tripneustes gratilla in Palau. These invertebrates are collected for food and traditional uses, but are currently unmanaged and are being over exploited. The project will monitor and assess the populations of these invertebrates in their natural habitats: mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs. The Environment, Inc. will utilize both indigenous and scientific knowledge to identify important nursery and feeding grounds for invertebrates in Airai and will work with the community to develop a management plan for these species.
Coral Reef Restoration
- The Nature Conservancy - Florida Keys Program (TNC), will develop a reef resilience program that coordinates responses to coral reef bleaching events impacting the south Florida reef track (Martin County to the Dry Tortugas). The project will quantitatively document the extent, severity and impacts of coral bleaching to improve understanding of how coral species and discrete reefs respond to this disturbance. The goal is to understand where and why some Florida reefs prosper while other succumb to stresses, and translate this information into novel management recommendations.
Increase Public Awareness
- The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) will work with
Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division
of Aquatic
Resources and other partners to enhance and increase sustainable
marine recreation on Maui. CORAL will:
- Develop a comprehensive "Voluntary Code of Conduct" for marine recreation providers; and
- Establish a Maui based standardized tour operator stewardship program: The CORAL Reef Leadership Network.
The Network will create a cohort of community and marine recreation leaders and operators proficient in education and outreach and the principles and practices of sustainable marine recreation and the Voluntary Code of Conduct. These leaders will deliver reef awareness messages to tourists including point-of-rental environmental briefings about proper reef behaviors. The program will also create a quarterly electronic newsletter for all network participants as a means to share information, educational opportunities, and news.
- The Kohala Center for Pacific Environmentswill develop a public education program targeting users of Kahalu'u Bay on the Island of Hawaii to reduce recreational impacts to coral reefs. Elements of the program include a multi-faceted advisory board of stakeholders from several public sectors, daily on site educational programs and displays with follow-up monitoring, radio and print media campaign, K-12 in school and after school learning opportunities based in Kahalu'u Bay, creation of handout and flyers for the tourist industry.
Local Action Strategy Support
- Consultores Educativos Ambientales, C.S.P. will develop five, five minute capsules of animated cartoons with select coral reef conservation messages taken from the comic book Cuidado con los Arrecifes. The scientific content of the messages will reference local Puerto Rico reserves with the purpose of building awareness about the coral reefs found within these protected areas. The main objective is to present correct and understandable coral reef scientific information to elementary school children in a fun way. Consultores will also hold teacher training sessions to incorporate this product into classroom.
