Coral Reef Ecosystem Funding Opportunities

NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program

NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program provides funds through grants or cooperative agreements for coral reef conservation activities within in U.S. state and territorial waters, the Freely Associated States, and in selected international regions as authorized by the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000. The NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program is divided into six program categories:

1. State and Territory Management Grants;
2. State and Territory Coral Reef Ecosystem Monitoring Grants;
3. Coral Reef Ecosystem Research Grants;
4. General Coral Reef Conservation Grants;
5. Projects to Improve or Amend Coral Reef Fishery Management Plans; and
6. International Coral Reef Conservation.

NOAA Fisheries Service, Office of Habitat Conservation administers the General Coral Reef Conservation Program, which provides matching grants to non-governmental organizations (NGO), institutions of higher education, for profit businesses, and resource agencies within the Freely Associated States. NOAA Fisheries Service also administers the Projects to Improve or Amend Coral Reef Fishery Management Plan, which provides funding to U.S. Regional Fishery Management Councils that have coral reef resources within their jurisdictions. These grant programs provide funding for coral reef conservation projects that are consistent with the goals of the National Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs.

The application period for fiscal year 2009 is now open for the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program. On July 11, 2008 the Federal Register Notice was published announcing the FY2009 funding cycle. The application deadline for both the General Coral Reef Conservation Grants Program and Projects to Improve or Admend Coral Reef Fishery Management Plans is November 3, 2008. To access the full funding announcements and the required Federal froms, and to apply for a grant please go to www.grants.gov. The General Coral Reef Conservation Funding Number is NMFS-HCPO-2009-2001494. The Funding Number for Projects to Improve or Admend Coral Reef Fishery Management Plan is NMFS-HCPO-2009-2001511.

Please note that pre-proposals are no longer being accepted for the General Coral Reef Conservation Grants Program and the Projects to Improve or Admend Coral Reef Fishery Management Plans. Applicants must submit a full application including the Federal Forms by November 3, 2008 for consideration for funding. Applications should be submitted through Grants.gov. If submitting a paper application via mail, all federal forms must be signed and dated.

All submitted applications that meet the stated criteria (listed in the funding announcement) will be peer-reviewed by individuals with coral reef expertise and fishery management experience and ranked and weighed based upon five criteria.

The objectives for the General Coral Reef Conservation Program are to support programs and projects U. S. States and Territories and the Freely Associated States to:

1. Help preserve, sustain, and restore the condition of coral reef ecosystems;
2. Promote wise management and sustainable use of coral reef resources; and
3. Increase public knowledge and awareness of coral reef ecosystems and issues regarding their conservation.

For Projects to be considered for funding under the General Coral Reef Conservation Program, Activities must fall within one or more of the following seven categories:

1. Monitoring and Assessment of Coral Reefs or Reef Resources;
2. Socioeconomic Assessments and Resource Evaluation;
3. Marine Protected Areas and Associated Management Activities;
4. Coral Reef Fisheries Management and Enforcement;
5. Coral Reef Restoration;
6. Public Education and Outreach; and
7. Local Action Strategy Projects

Institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, commercial organizations, and local and Indian tribal, and Freely Associated State governments are encouraged to apply for the General Coral Reef Conservation Grants. All applicants must provide evidence of support for the project by appropriate representatives of States or other government jurisdictions in which the project will be conducted.

Through the program to Improve or Amend Coral Reef Fishery Management Plans, NOAA awards cooperative agreements to support value-added studies or projects that will enhance the conservation of coral reef fishery resources. This program is only awarded to Federal Fishery Management councils with jurisdiction over tropical and sub tropical shallow water coral reef ecosystems including the Caribbean Fishery Management Council, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, and Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council. Priority for these funds include the following activities, which must be conducted in the jurisdiction of the Council:

1. Identification, mapping and characterization of EFH, HAPC, or reef fish spawning aggregation sites;
2. Monitoring reef fish stocks;
3. Identification of the adverse impacts of fishing gear and fishing methods and implementation of actions to reduce habitat damage;
4. Assessment of the adequacy of current coral reef fishing regulations and revision of regulations as needed;
5. Enhanced enforcement of fishery regulations and/or no-take fishery resources;
6. Education and outreach efforts to recreational and commercial fishers; and
7. Studies to understand and incorporate ecosystem-scale considerations into coral reef fishery management plans.

Related Links

Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for the Coral Reef Consonservation Grant Program.

Frequently Asked questions about the Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program

Coral Reef Conservation Fund

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) with funding from NOAA, provides grants for projects that build public-private partnerships to reduce and prevent degradation of coral reefs and associated reef habitats. The focus areas for the Coral Reef Conservation Fund is on U.S. domestic, U.S. insular (territorial, commonwealth), Freely Associated States (Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands and Palau), and Caribbean or Mesoamerican coral reef ecosystems.

The application dead line for 2008 is closed. The anticipated date for the next announcement for the 2009 Coral Reef Conservation Fund should be in the Fall/Winter of 2008.

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