A group of people gathered on a boat deck, smiling for the camera.

Management Capacity

Management capacity of coral reef conservation and management programs is critical for the effective conservation and restoration of coral reef ecosystems.

An aerial view of a tropical coast line, with high rises in the foreground, suburbs behind the high rises, and a mountain range in the background.

Land-Based Sources of Pollution

The health of many coral reef ecosystems depends on effective management of land-based activities in adjacent coastal and upland regions.

A coral head with healthy brown polyps surrounding a large white dead area.

Disease and Disturbance Response

Coral reef disturbances (e.g., disease outbreaks, bleaching, invasive species, and strong hurricanes and typhoons) are major events that can have dramatic, acute impacts on coral reefs.

A school of silver fish swim over a large swatch of bleached coral.

Changing Ocean Conditions

Changing ocean conditions, including increases in water temperature and heat stress events that lead to coral bleaching, can dramatically alter ecosystem function as well as diminish the goods and services coral reef ecosystems provide to people.

A school of silver bigeye trevally fish swim around a scuba diver hovering vertically over a coral reef. The diver photographs the fish as they swim by.

Sustainable Fisheries

Managing sustainable fisheries is a dynamic process that requires constant and routine attention to new information that can guide management actions.

Small, round tan corals sit on a grid system within an aquarium tank.

Coral Restoration

One key tool in resilience-based management of coral reef ecosystems is direct restoration of degraded coral reefs.

A healthy coral reef with a school of small fishes in the foreground, with a scuba diver taking photos of the reef with a camera in the background.

National Coral Reef Monitoring Program

This program is a strategic framework for conducting sustained observations of biological, climatic, and socioeconomic indicators in U.S. coral reef ecosystems.

Two people fish off the side of a boat equipped with multiple rods in the center console, as a third person looks on. The person in the foreground is actively reeling a fish in.

Social Science Program

A deeper understanding of the human connections to coral reefs help managers assess the social and economic consequences of coral reef management policies, interventions, and activities.