|
|
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Coral Reef Conservation Program supports effective management and sound science to preserve, sustain and restore valuable coral reef ecosystems. of special note... NOAA Releases Report on Deep Sea Coral Program. NOAA Explores Underwater Habitats of Southwest Puerto Rico. 19th U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Meeting. IYOR 2008 Messaging Campaign Offers Free Educational Products. NOAA Seeks Public Comment on Two Proposed Protections for Threatened Elkhorn and Staghorn Corals. 11th ICRS Goes Green: Conference Will be Carbon Neutral.
NOAA Releases Report on Deep Sea Coral Program. On March 13, NOAA released the first report to Congress on the Implementation of the Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program, called for in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 (MSRA). Prepared under the auspices of NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program and in consultation with the Nation's eight Regional Fishery Management Councils, the report provides information on steps taken by NOAA and its partners to identify, monitor, and protect deep sea coral areas. Sections provide a brief discussion of current knowledge and knowledge gaps about deep sea corals (also known as deep water or cold-water corals), NOAA's expertise and authorities to conserve deep sea coral communities, and summaries of management actions taken by NOAA, the Fishery Management Councils, other federal agencies, and international organizations in 2007. The final section highlights research priorities for 2009 and recommendations for addressing knowledge gaps. The report includes an initial list of areas known to contain deep sea corals that NOAA recommends the Regional Fishery Management Councils evaluate in considering zones to protect deep sea corals as allowed in discretionary provisions of the MSRA. To learn more or download a copy of the report, click here.
NOAA Explores Underwater Habitats of Southwest Puerto Rico. From February 25 through March 8, NOAA’s Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA) is conducting the fifth year of an ongoing scientific research mission onboard the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster. This is a collaborative mission with the Caribbean Fishery Management Council, Puerto Rico territorial government, the University of Puerto Rico (Mayagüez), and the Caribbean Coral Reef Institute to collect data to support local marine management and monitoring strategies. The primary objective of the 2008 mission, funded by NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) and the CCMA, is to collect and integrate data obtained from a multibeam acoustic sonar system and data obtained from underwater imagery systems to create the first comprehensive map of coral ecosystems. Other project objectives are to image and document the spatial distribution, abundance, and condition of fish, coral reefs and fishery resources. Data generated during this mission will support natural resource management in Federal and commonwealth waters of Puerto Rico, as well as help NOAA continue to meet its commitment to the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force to map moderate depth (20-1000m) coral reef ecosystems. The mission has a dedicated Web page which includes daily logs, crew profiles, images, and more. This mission also incorporated a very successful media day on February 27; two local Puerto Rican newspapers and the Associated Press participated. The AP story has been picked up by several affiliates, including this MSNBC story. In addition, Chief Scientist, Tim Battista, was interviewed by a Boston National Public Radio affiliate; the story aired on March 3.
19th U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Meeting. On February 27, NOAA co-chaired the 19th meeting of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (Task Force). The Task Force celebrated its tenth anniversary and IYOR 2008, and discussed the priority threats facing coral reef ecosystems and what actions and commitments are necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of these valuable ecosystems. During the meeting, the Task Force heard a keynote address from Dr. Nancy Knowlton, Smithsonian Institution Sant Chair of Marine Science. Dr. Knowlton challenged the Task Force to focus on outcomes that have measurable impacts on coral reef health. The president of the Republic of Palau, HE Tommy Remengesau Jr., gave an inspiring address that highlighted the successes possible when we work beyond traditional political boundaries. Finally, Wyland, the artist of IYOR 2008, unveiled his original painting “Year of the Reef,” shown above. All meeting documents will soon be available on the Task Force Web site's Meetings page.
IYOR 2008 Messaging Campaign Offers Free Educational Products. In celebration of International Year of the Reef 2008 (IYOR 2008), the Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation led the development of a U.S. Messaging Campaign. The overarching theme for the campaign is: 'Coral reefs for health, for wealth, for life,' which recognizes the value of coral reef ecosystems. In addition, to complement the tag line of 'Every Act Counts', three nationwide action messages were developed that can be used to raise awareness of the effects of everyday actions on coral reefs. Two local messages are also being developed for regions of the U.S. that contain reefs. For more information on these action messages, or to download your free copies, visit www.iyorcreative.com. Everyone is encouraged to participate in IYOR 2008; we welcome you to learn more about the international efforts for IYOR 2008 and how you can get involved. NOAA Seeks Public Comment on Two Proposed Protections for Threatened Elkhorn and Staghorn Corals. NOAA is proposing to extend most of the prohibitions of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to the threatened elkhorn and staghorn corals. Both species were listed as threatened in May 2006. Species listed as endangered under the ESA are automatically covered by a suite of protective measures and prohibitions in the law; however, these same measures and prohibitions do not automatically apply for threatened species. Therefore, NOAA Fisheries Service developed a separate proposed rule, called a 4(d) rule after section 4(d) of the ESA, detailing the prohibitions necessary to provide for the conservation of elkhorn and staghorn corals. The proposed rule would prohibit the take, trade and all commercial activities involving elkhorn and staghorn corals. Allowable activities are limited to qualified scientific research and enhancement and restoration activities carried out by an authorized agency. The public has 90 days to comment on the proposed rule; the comment period ends on March 13, 2008. NOAA also proposes to designate approximately 4,931 square miles of marine habitat in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands as critical habitat for these threatened species. Public hearings for the proposed critical habitat will be held in March and the public comment period for this proposal ends on May 6, 2008. Please note that the map indicating proposed critical habitat for Florida is incorrect. The description of the proposed area is correct and a corrected map will be published in the Federal Register in the near future. You can access both of the Federal Register notices for these proposals, supporting documents, instructions for submitting comments, and Frequently Asked Questions on the NOAA Southeast Regional Office Web site.
11th ICRS Goes Green: Conference Will be Carbon Neutral. Every four years the International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) convenes as a major scientific conference of the International Society for Reef Studies (ISRS) to provide the latest knowledge about coral reefs worldwide. The 11th ICRS, with the theme of Reefs for the Future, will be held in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, July 7-11, 2008. Symposium Co-Hosts include the State of Florida and the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force. The 11th ICRS is also a keystone event within the International Year of the Reef (IYOR) 2008. Symposium and field trip registration, as well as hotel reservations, are available online; additional background information is also available. Register by March 14 to receive the discounted rates. Presenters have until March 14 to register. |
May 15, 2008 new publications... Implementation of the Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program External Review Summary Report Coral Reef Ecosystem Conservation Amendments Act of 2007 The State of Deep Coral Ecosystems of the United States key links... NOAA CRCP FY 2007 Accomplishments Search NOAA's coral reef data and information through the Coral Reef Information System (CoRIS)
NOAA serves as co-chair of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Links to more information on coral reefs |
|||||||||||||||||||||
 |
Revised March 13, 2008| Questions? Comments? Contact Us | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Site Index |
