Noaa Coral Reef Initiative

Features information on coral reefs, provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Discusses the NOAA's coral reef initiative, the Coral Health and Monitoring Program, and the Great American Fish Count. Includes photographs of coral reefs and news releases.

NOAA Technical Memorandum CRCP 11. Identifies goals, objectives, and approaches to guide NOAA's research, management, and international cooperation activities on deep-sea coral and sponge ecosystems for fiscal years 2010 through 2019. Integrates research and conservation needs and is intended to be a flexible, evolving document that allows NOAA and its partners to address new management challenges and priorities as appropriate. The primary goal of this Strategic Plan is to improve the understanding, conservation, and management of deep-sea coral and sponge ecosystems.

"The CNMI Coral Reef Initiative (CRI) was founded in 2003 in partnership with NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program. The CRI is a cross-agency initiative between the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality (BECQ), Division of Coastal Resources Management (DCRM), Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ), the Department of Lands and Natural Resources (DLNR), and the Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW). These agencies work together to protect and preserve CNMI's coral reef ecosystems and ensure responsible management of these resources. This work is achieved through biological monitoring, habitat restoration, research, enforcement, and education and outreach. Widespread understanding and support for coral reef management plans and activities in the CNMI has been limited and varies greatly among members of the general public. This lack in awareness and appreciation has made it difficult to inspire change in individual attitudes and behavior, and greatly impedes the community's ability to make decisions for effective coral reef management. Historically, education and outreach efforts have focused heavily on 4th and 5th grade audiences, collaborating with PSS educators on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota, as well as other agencies, to coordinate outreach events such as "CNMI Snorkels" and the Ridge to Reef Eco Camps. We have also made an effort to reach additional audiences by taking advantage of opportunities to conduct outreach at events such as the Marianas Tourism and Education Council's (MTEC) Tourism Summit and the Timmy Would Go Memorial Paddle Classic. These events allow us to reach a wider audience of resource users as well as help CRI establish a presence in the community. Communication, education, and outreach continues to be an integral part of the CNMI's coral reef conservation plan. The education and outreach team continually works to enhance public awareness, understanding, and appreciation of coral reef ecosystems and empower the public to become active stewards of the marine environment. The success of our efforts is measured in a number of ways. For example, pre and post-presentation/activity surveys are distributed to students to determine if coral reef knowledge has increased; human dimensions' surveys track public awareness and attitudes; and temporal data collected from specific areas help us to determine the effectiveness of targeted outreach plans (i.e. LaoLao Bay Pride Campaign)"--Background.

"Ecotrust received a one-year grant of $75,810 through NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program for a project through our Marine Consulting Initiative to develop, deploy, and fieldtest an integrated technical design solution for trip ticket forms. In the fall of 2013, Ecotrust’s Marine Consulting Initiative was launched as a separate but wholly-owned subsidiary entity, Point 97, driven by the same mission: to deliver technology solutions and engagement strategies for coastal and marine planning that better connect people with place, bridge differing perspectives, and implement management decisions in an inclusive and transparent way. Point 97 works towards this mission in regions around the world through consulting, contracted services, and high-tech product development. All existing grant-funded projects will be accomplished as planned, and Point 97 will continue to partner with Ecotrust and other collaborators in future grant-funded work. With the support of this one-year NOAA CRCP award, the project team accomplished a needs assessment for an electronic catch reporting system in the Caribbean, designed the initial product, implemented three major updates to the product, and received feedback from partners to consider through the stages of development and implementation. The number of participating fishers and their submitted reports demonstrated the success of the electronic reporting system; we collected over 600 electronic catch reports from 27 fishers in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) and Puerto Rico (PR) over a period of nine months. The final Digital Deck electronic catch report system included a catch report application (mobile and desktop) and dashboards for both the fishers (mobile and desktop dashboards) and the agency fisheries managers (desktop dashboards). Throughout the project we coordinated with fishers, agency fisheries managers, and regional data managers via in-person meetings and phone conferences. Initial onsite visits enabled the project team to recruit and train cooperating fishers in collaboration with agency partners. The project team continued training and support for fishers through later site visits and regular remote communication, and worked with both fishers and agency partners to ensure that the final product fit technology preferences and data requirements. This final report details the progress made during the grant period towards approved objectives and the project results. Final grant financials have been submitted separately through the NOAA Grants Online portal, according to reporting guidelines"--Executive Summary.