2003 General Coral Reef Conservation Awards
The General Coral Reef Conservation Program is a matching grants program within the broader NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program authorized by the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000. The program funds coral reef conservation projects that are consistent with the goals of the Act and the National Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs. In 2003, NOAA provided $408,368 to support universities, and non-governmental organizations for projects that preserved, sustained and restored coral reef ecosystems, promoted wise management and sustainable use, developed sound scientific information about coral reef resources, or increased public awareness. Twelve awards were made under the General Coral Reef Conservation Program leveraging over $450,000.
Preserve, Sustain, and Restore Coral Reef Resources
- TRAFFIC North America, in partnership with Project Seahorse,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries
Service, and the Secretariat of the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
developed a comprehensive identification
manual for the world’s known seahorses (genus Hippocampus).
This manual aids in facilitating the enforcement of trade regulations
and domestic management for seahorses listed on Appendix II
of CITES, thereby reducing the impacts from illegal and unreported
international trade and fishing on these coral reef resources.
- DLF & Associates conducted a series of training workshops
for 50 DNER maritime unit rangers on laws and regulations affecting
coral reef ecosystems in Puerto Rico, and the legal process
for prosecuting violators. The workshops enhanced rangers knowledge
of coral reefs and identified the most appropriate and successful
tactics when interacting with coral reef users.
- The University of Guam identified essential spawning and nursery habitats for large, vulnerable, and commercially important reef fishes in Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia. The researcher monitored recruitment, growth, movement, reproductive behavior and mortality of camouflage grouper (Epinephelus polykephadion), squaretail coral grouper (Plectropomus areolatus), Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) and bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) in a range of habitats. Spectral Mixture Analysis and visual interpretation of IKONOS high-resolution satellite imagery were used to assess and identify habitat types and classify specific locations on the images. This spatially referenced habitat data was used in a Geographic Information System (GIS) to generate spatial databases and maps of available shallow near shore habitats, focusing on critical nursery and spawning habitats.
Promote Wise Management and Sustainable Use
- Hawaii Wildlife Fund (HWF) assisted local communities in
Maui, Hawaii in sustainably managing coral reef resources. The
first component was designed to help communities organize and
build capacity for coral reef management through the initiation
of the establishment of local resource councils. These councils
will serve as the main body for community members to discuss
their concerns and make strategic decisions regarding coral
reef conservation. The second component involved establishing
a Conservation Awareness and Involvement Program including community
monitoring of coral reef ecosystems and alien algae. This included
training community members in R.E.E.F. monitoring techniques
and hosting meetings where results of surveys were shared with
the public. The HWF also implemented a ReefWatcher program.
The third component involved working with the marine tourism
industry to initiate a conservation fund.
- Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) is working with marine aquarium
trade stakeholders on the Island of Hawaii, especially the industry,
to promote the wise management and sustainable use of coral
reef resources. Specific elements include: 1) building awareness
of management alternatives for a sustainable marine aquarium
trade in Hawaii through multi-stakeholder consultations and
outreach; 2) developing management plans for reef areas subject
to marine ornamentals collection though stakeholder participation;
and 3) facilitating marine aquarium fish collectors and companies
to understand and achieve MAC Certification for "best practices."
- World Resource Institute is conducting a detailed analysis
of watersheds in Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands and assessing
the vulnerability of protected coral reefs to threats from anthropogenic
sources. This proposal builds upon the Reefs at Risk Caribbean
project, a region wide analysis of threats to coral reefs using
Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The model and expertise
that have been developed for the Caribbean is being refined
at a higher resolution for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
to identify critical information for needed management of land
based sources of pollution. The first task is to carry out detailed
watershed modeling, analyzing how changes inland affect coral
reef health. The second task focuses on the protection of the
reefs and anthropogenic threats that come from outside the areas
of protection. The results will be used to better identify the
link between inland development and coral reef degradation in
order to guide watershed management.
- Coral Reef Alliance’s (CORAL) Parks Program is conducting a project to help coral park managers leverage tourism to build local investment in the conservation of coral reef parks. This project focuses on building the capacity of key coral park stakeholders, including park managers, local tour and dive operators, and local community members. CORAL is training and providing technical assistance to two local groups of park managers, dive operators and residents in the Freely Associated States of the Pacific, as a way of building pro-active partnerships for coral reef conservation. Some outcomes associated with the training of mixed groups of reef stakeholders in two sites include: 1) measurable increase in the ability of participating park managers to engage community support for reef protection; 2) an increase in the number of tour/dive operators who actively collaborate with park managers on reef conservation; and 3) a measurable increase in the number of dive and tour businesses that provide customers with conservation education. The project is addressing marine protected areas in the Rock Islands, Palau; Jaluit Atoll Conservation Area, Republic of the Marshall Islands; and Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia.
Improve the Use of Marine Protected Areas
- The University of the Virgin Islands is leading a collaborative effort between the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) and the British Virgin Islands* (BVI) to collect and assimilate biological data on a critical habitat with the goal of identifying possible marine protected areas (MPA's). One component focuses on a scientific investigation of a large traditional red hind grouper (Epinephalus guttatus) spawning aggregation site in the British Virgin Islands, located on the Anegada Bank, with the emphasis on characterization of the spatial area of the aggregation as well as the density of spawners, sex ratio, size frequency, habitat type, benthic complexity, and fish community structure. Data from the Anegada site will be compared to that from the Marine Conservation District off of St. Thomas to evaluate the value of MPA's as a management technique for the sustainability of a fisheries resource (red hind grouper). With the near collapse of several fish stocks in the USVI and Puerto Rico and the proximity of under-exploited BVI fisheries, regional cooperation and management should be of paramount interest to managers of both the USVI and BVI.
*The British Virgin Islands portion of this this award was funded through the International Coral Reef Conservation Grants Program.
Increase Public Awareness
- Consultores Educativos Ambientales, C.S.P designed and implemented
an 18-month public education campaign on coral reefs. The project
consisted of field and classroom activities directed to boat
owners, fishermen, town folks and campers; production of written
material on coral reef conservation in the form of a comic book;
and development of a weather proof poster illustrating the code
of conduct necessary around coral reefs that will be posted
in strategic areas such as coastal community centers, town squares,
marinas and camping sites in Fajardo, Culebra and La Parguera
(Lajas).
- Florida State University is conducting
an educational outreach and public awareness project on Atlantic
coral reefs. This effort is updating the Smithsonian Tropical
Research Institute’s 1996 exhibition (Nuestros Arrecifes:Unidos
por el Caribe/Our Reefs:Caribbean Connections). The update is
needed because many reefs in the wider Caribbean have seriously
deteriorated since 1996, our understanding of the threats that
have contributed to the decline has greatly increased, and new
strategies for management or remediation are being introduced.
The regional focus conforms to natural geographic and oceanographic
boundaries and incorporates an ecologically coherent biogeographic
province. Key topics for inclusion are diseases, fishing, greenhouse
gases, management, recreation, and runoff. Overseeing the exhibit’s
development is an advisory group that includes well-regarded
coral reef scientists.
- The Palau Conservation Society is implementing a training
and outreach program in coral reef ecology for tour guides.
The primary goal of the training program is to provide basic
information about coral reef ecology and ways to minimize the
impacts of visitors in the marine environment. The focus of
the outreach program is on the importance of protecting the
health of the marine environment and of the tour guides' role
in promoting a healthy marine environment in Palau. PCS is implementing
the project in partnership with Koror State Office of Conservation
and Law Enforcement.
- Project Aware Foundation is improving education by increasing public knowledge on coral reef ecosystems and issues regarding their conservation through the dissemination of educational materials, public service announcements and targeted discussions with user groups on possible local conservation practices. Protect the Living Reef educational materials specifically communicate to these audiences why coral reefs need our protection, their vast importance and “10 Things You Can Do” to sustain coral reef resources. In addition to targeting user groups, this project is expanding upon their successful 2002 Public Service Announcements involving well known Academy Award Nominees Ed Harris and Selma Hayek, who will present coral reef conservation messages to the general public.
