NOAA Fisheries works to protect and preserve corals and coral reefs by addressing the threats that are causing their decline. Caribbean species as “threatened” include elkhorn coral, staghorn coral, lobed star coral, boulder star coral, mountainous star coral, pillar coral, and rough cactus coral.

Management Plan for Caribbean Acropora Population Enhancement 

NOAA Fisheries announces the release of the Management Plan for Caribbean Acropora Population Enhancement for threatened elkhorn and staghorn corals.  The intent of population enhancement efforts is to aid in the recovery of elkhorn and staghorn corals and to improve reef community and ecosystem function without negatively impacting native populations.  The management plan provides best management practices to minimize risks to native populations and guidelines to maximize recovery potential as identified by the goals, actions, and criteria in the Acropora Recovery Plan.  It covers all aspects of population enhancement, from collection and nursery cultivation, to outplanting, monitoring, and reporting.  The management plan pertains to any efforts to propagate elkhorn or staghorn corals when the intention is to release propagated individuals for reintroduction or augmentation of existing populations or to establish or maintain refugia populations (populations removed from the wild).  Coral restoration partners, including non-governmental organizations, academia, zoos, aquaria, and federal, state, and local agencies, are requested to collectively implement this Management Plan.

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Hot Topics

Recovery
Recovery Outline: 5 Caribbean Corals
Federal Register Notice
Elkhorn and Staghorn Coral Recovery Plan 
Press Release
FAQs 
 

Listing
Coral Listing Fact Sheet
2014 Final Rule (Navigable HTML)
2014 Final Rule (Fed Reg Notice)
Literature Cited
 

For more information:
Jennifer Moore
Jennifer.Moore@noaa.gov
727-551-5797

More Information

• Southeast Fisheries Science Center Coral Research
• Pacific Islands Regional Office Corals
• NOAA Fisheries Office Of Protected Resources
• NOAA Fisheries Restoration Center
• NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program
• US Coral Reef Task Force