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Coral 312 Program
Purpose: To prepare rapid, cost-effective, litigation-quality
claims for injuries to coral resulting from vessel groundings and other
mechanical injuries, and to implement the restoration and monitoring of coral
reef ecosystem injuries.
Location: Florida Keys
National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS).
Trustees:
Overview: The coral reef tract in FKNMS is the most extensive
living coral reef in the United States and is a crucial part of a
marine ecosystem that supports one of the most unique and diverse
assemblages of plants and animals in North America. This complex marine
ecosystem also supports tourism and commercial fishing, the economic foundation
of the Florida Keys. Unfortunately, these coral reef communities have been
severely degraded over the past few decades by coral diseases, coral bleaching,
decreased water quality, and over-fishing. Additionally, recreational and
commercial vessels are significant contributors to this decline because the
impact often destroys the local coral community. With more than 100 vessel
groundings on coral reef reported each year in FKNMS, the impact on the coral
reef ecosystem can be extensive.
NOAA and the state of Florida created the Coral 312 Program to address injuries
to coral reef habitats within FKNMS caused by vessels. The goal of the Coral
312 Program is to rehabilitate coral reefs
injured by vessels and educate boat owners about the negative ecological and
financial effects of vessel groundings. The program uses an interdisciplinary
team of biologists, economists, lawyers, and resource managers to assess and
recover natural resource damages from the
boat operators who cause these injuries. The funds collected are then used to
implement the restoration of and monitor restored coral reef ecosystems.
The Coral 312 Program gets its name from section 312 of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act  .
Section 312 authorizes trustees to seek damages from those responsible for
injuring sanctuary natural resources. In addition, section 307 authorizes
trustees to assess civil penalties for violation of sanctuary regulations.
Smaller natural resource injuries are pursued under section 307, which allows
for the collection of penalties but does not necessarily require restoration.
Natural resource injuries are pursued under these specific sections based on
different factors, including, but not limited to, the amount of coral or reef
framework affected and the amount of restoration and monitoring needed to bring
the injured area back to its pre-injury condition.
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