NOAA releases action plan on coral interventions

NOAA divers identify and measure coral colonies along a transect in Vatia's outer bay while American Samoa Department of Land and Natural Resources and National Marine Sanctuaries divers observe the survey methods © NOAA Fisheries / Morgan Winston

NOAA recognizes the deterioration of global coral reef ecosystems and is committed to intervening in US reefs where it has the authority to act and support, and to promote the restoration and intervention of reefs worldwide.

Given the accelerating pace of threats to reef ecosystems, it is clear that effective, timely interventions, will need to be judiciously applied.

The NOAA Action Plan on Coral Interventions will guide how NOAA approaches coral interventions in the next one to three years. The plan encompasses four actions for NOAA: (1) research and test priority interventions, (2) develop local or regional structured decision support, (3) review policy implications of coral interventions, and (4) invest in infrastructure, research, and coordination.

We still have the capacity to save coral reefs from their current trajectories but this requires accelerated rates of research and innovation, as well as increased and sustained investment. Coordinated bodies of scientists, governmental officials, and other stakeholders will be critical in identifying which blend of conventional management and interventions will maximize their local reefs' ability to persist considering budget, local buy-in, and policy.

NOAA Action Plan on Coral Interventions