The National Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs

Coral Reef Task Force

Coral reefs are among the most diverse and biologically complex ecosystems on earth. These rainforests of the sea provide economic and environmental services to millions of people as areas of natural beauty and recreation, sources of food, jobs, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and shoreline protection. Now under threat from multiple stresses that are overwhelming their natural resilience, coral reefs are deteriorating worldwide at alarming rates. An estimated 10% of the world's reefs have already been lost and 60% threatened by bleaching, disease and a variety of human activities including shoreline development, polluted runoff from agricultural and land-use practices, ship groundings, over-harvesting, destructive fishing, and global climate change. The trend in coral reef health is downward, and these ancient ecosystems are in peril. This document presents the United States' collective response to this crisis: The National Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs. The Action Plan was produced by the Working Groups of the United States Coral Reef Task Force in response to its request for a cohesive national strategy to implement Executive Order 13089 on Coral Reefs (Appendix A). These actions were developed in consultation with a variety of stakeholders and cover the spectrum of coral reef conservation from mapping, (monitoring, management and research, to education and international cooperation Appendix B). Collectively, these actions are intended to provide a comprehensive road map for federal, state, territorial and local action to reverse the worldwide decline and loss of coral reefs. This is a living document, intended by its authors to be revisited and revised regularly, and to be augmented by agency implementation plans and an annual report from each CRTF member agency summarizing significant issues and accomplishments related to coral reef conservation. Two fundamental themes will frame the Coral Reef Task Force's conservation actions: *Understand Coral Reef Ecosystems- by conducting comprehensive mapping, assessment and monitoring of coral reef habitats; supporting strategic research on regional threats to coral reef health and the underlying ecological processes upon which they depend; and incorporating the human dimension into conservation and management strategies. *Reduce The Adverse Impacts Of Human Activities- by creating an expanded and strengthened network of federal, state and territorial coral reef Marine Protected Areas; reducing the adverse impacts of extractive uses; reducing habitat destruction; reducing pollution; restoring damaged reefs; strengthening international activities; reducing the impacts of international trade in coral reef species; improving governmental accountability and coordination; and creating an informed and engaged public for coral reef conservation.