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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) supports effective management and sound science to preserve, sustain and restore valuable coral reef ecosystems. of special note... Follow Blog on 2009 Acropora Spawning in the Florida Keys NOAA Models Show Coral Bleaching Likely in the Caribbean Public Comment Opportunity: Regarding Petition to Revise Critical Habitat for Acropora NOAA Coral Grants Available for FY10 CRCP Publishes Final Goals and Objectives CRCP Publishes Final International Strategy Follow Blog on 2009 Acropora Spawning in the Florida Keys. Elkhorn (Acropora palmata) and Staghorn (A. cervicornis) corals were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act on May 9, 2006. These two species are managed by the NOAA Fisheries Service Southeast Region Protected Resources Division. Annual mass spawning, during which these species release millions of gametes in a precisely synchronized event, is observed by NOAA scientists as part of both management and research activities. Spawning events allow the stationary animals to mix genetically, disperse offspring over great distances. This reproducive mechanism is also believed to maximize the chances of fertilization, and at the same time overwhelm predators with more food than they can possibly consume. The exact cues triggering the annual phenomenon remain unclear, but they are generally believed to be linked to water temperatures as well as the lunar and tidal cycles. The Protected Resources Division is hosting a blog to record the 2009 Acropora Spawning Event. Please visit the site to read updates about the event, including news from SCUBAnauts, who are 12-18 year-old students, that will be observing spawning events in the Florida Keys. For more information about the listing and conservation of these species please click here. NOAA Models Show Coral Bleaching Likely in the Caribbean. High thermal stress, or continued high temperatures and UV exposure, can cause coral bleaching and infectious disease outbreaks. Scientists from NOAA Coral Reef Watch (CRW) say conditions are favorable for significant coral bleaching and infectious coral disease outbreaks in the Caribbean, especially in the Lesser Antilles. The forecast is based on the July NOAA CRW outlook, which expects continued high water temperatures through October 2009. The system suggests that other areas of concern in 2009 are the central Pacific region, including the equatorial Line Islands and Kiribati. Some thermal stress may also develop between the Northern Marianas Islands and Japan. The thermal stress outlooks are available online. “Just like any climate forecast, local conditions and weather events can influence actual temperatures. However, we are quite concerned that high temperatures may threaten the health of coral reefs in the Caribbean this year,” says C. Mark Eakin, Ph.D., coordinator of CRW. A severe bleaching event occurred in the Caribbean in 2005, causing mass coral disease and mortality in parts of the region. CRW has input the data from 2005 to create a ‘hind cast’ with the bleaching outlook system, and the current model output for 2009 looks much like what the model would have predicted for 2005. This means that if there is not a change in underlying conditions as the worst bleaching months approach, or if local weather patterns and local conditions do not relieve some of the thermal stress in the region, the Caribbean could experience bleaching as severe as the 2005 event. For more information, visit CRW’s Website and read the NOAA Press Release. Public Comment Opportunity: Regarding Petition to Revise Critical Habitat for Acropora. Elkhorn and staghorn corals, both of which are Acropora species, are listed as threatened throughout their ranges and have designated critical habitat consisting of substrate of suitable quality and availability to support larval settlement and recruitment and the reattachment and recruitment of asexual fragments. The critical habitat exists in water depths shallower than 30 meters in four areas in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A petition from Palm Beach County Reef Rescue (FL) seeks to extend the northern boundary of designated critical habitat in the Florida area to the Lake Worth Inlet, approximately 15.5 miles (24.9 km) north of the current boundary at Boynton Beach Inlet. NOAA Fisheries found that the petition presents substantial scientific information that the revision may be warranted and thus is soliciting information and comments pertaining to this request for revision of critical habitat for these species. The current comment period assists NOAA in determining whether the finding that revisions "may be warranted" should lead to a proposed rule for new critical habitat, or not. Written comments and information related to this petition finding, or the petitioned action, must be received by August 26. For more information, or instructions to submit Public Comments, see the Federal Register Notice (pdf, 45 kb). If scientific information and responses to this public comment opportunity support the creation of a new proposed rule for critical habitat, a proposed rule will be drafted and a second comment period will be held on the proposed rule before a final rule is issued. NOAA Coral Grants Available for FY10. The CRCP is pleased to announce that Fiscal Year 2010 (FY10) Federal Funding Opportunities (FFO) for five of the CRCP’s six grant programs were published in the Federal Register on July 16, 2009. Federal Register Notices are the official mechanism for announcing funding opportunities within the Federal government and can be accessed online or through Grants.gov.
CRCP Publishes Final Goals and Objectives. The primary objective of the CRCP is to address strategic coral reef management needs in a targeted, cost-effective and efficient manner. To make the most of limited resources and to have the largest impact to reverse general declines in coral reef health, the CRCP is narrowing the focus of its U.S. domestic program and shifting allocation of CRCP resources to taking on-the-ground and in-the-water action. To narrow its range of activities, the CRCP will emphasize efforts on understanding and addressing the top three recognized global threats to coral reef ecosystems: climate change impacts, fishing impacts, and impacts from land-based sources of pollution. On June 29th, the CRCP released the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program Goals & Objectives 2010-2015 (pdf, 2.52 mb). This document provides strategic guidance on the CRCP's priorities for FY 2010-2015. To learn more about the process utilized to develop this report, visit the Threat-based Working Groups page.
CRCP Publishes Final International Strategy. The primary objective of the CRCP is to address strategic coral reef management needs in a targeted, cost-effective and efficient manner. To make the most of limited resources and to have the largest impact to reverse general declines in coral reef health, the CRCP is shifting allocation of CRCP resources to taking on-the-ground and in-the-water action. The CRCP is also expanding its international presence by becoming more actively involved in coral conservation efforts, primarily in the Pacific, the Coral Triangle region, and the Caribbean. To narrow its range of activities, the CRCP will emphasize efforts on understanding and addressing the top three recognized global threats to coral reef ecosystems: climate change impacts, fishing impacts, and impacts from land-based sources of pollution. On June 29th, the CRCP released the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program International Strategy 2010-2015 (pdf, 1.50 mb). This document provides strategic guidance on the CRCP's international priorities for FY 2010-2015. To learn more about the process utilized to develop this report, visit the Threat-based Working Groups page. |
August 25, 2009 key links... NOAA CRCP FY 2008 Accomplishments Search NOAA's coral reef data and information through the Coral Reef Information System (CoRIS) NEW! The Regional Portal and Map Search tools enhance your search NOAA serves as co-chair of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Links to more information on coral reefs new publications... (Search for all CRCP publications in the CoRIS Library) NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program Goals & Objectives 2010-2015 NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program International Strategy 2010-2015 Pacific CREIOS Workshop Report Coral Reef Habitat Assessment for U.S. Marine Protected Areas Economic Values of Coral Reefs, Mangroves, and Seagrasses: A Global Compilation 2008 Demographic Baseline Report of U.S. Territories and Counties Adjacent to Coral Reef Habitats Socioeconomic Monitoring Guidelines for Coastal Managers of the Western Indian Ocean: SocMon WIO SEM-Pasifika: Socioeconomic Monitoring Guidelines for Coastal Managers in Pacific Island Countries Draft NOAA Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge Research and Management Strategic Plan |
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Reviewed August 07, 2009
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