Coral Reef Initiative

Coral Reef, Ailuk Atoll, Marshall Islands.

The Department of the Interior (DOI) and its Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) are working with the U.S.-affiliated insular areas to protect coral reefs.  Healthy coral reef resources are an integral part of their economy and environment. Coral reefs protect these island communities from coastal erosion and storm damage, provide habitat to numerous species, and support important tourism and recreational industries. With the majority of U.S. coral reefs located in the insular areas, OIA is also playing a critical role in the national effort to develop effective programs to sustainably manage and protect coral reef resources for present and future generations.

In partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), OIA provides technical assistance and direct grants to the U.S. insular areas in support of their efforts to conserve coral reef ecosystems. These areas include the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), American Samoa, and the freely associated states of Palau, the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), to support coral reef conservation.  Grants support a broad range of projects designed to fill gaps in management capacity and to develop a comprehensive resource management program within each of the areas.  Local Action Strategies, developed by each of the U.S. territories, form the basis for a significant portion of their annual grant awards.

OIA’s program is a key element of a coordinated U.S. effort to reverse the decline of coral reefs.  The initiative is overseen by the United States Coral Reef Task Force (CRTF; www.coralreef.gov), established in 1998 by Presidential Executive Order #13089 and co-chaired by the Departments of the Interior and Commerce.  CRTF members include the heads of twelve Federal agencies, and the governors of Florida, Hawaii and the five U.S. territories.  The presidents of the three freely associated states serve as non-voting members.

The CRTF is responsible for overseeing implementation of the Executive Order, and developing and implementing coordinated efforts to map and monitor U.S. coral reefs; research the causes and solutions to coral reef degradation; reduce and mitigate coral reef degradation from pollution, over fishing and other causes; and implement strategies to promote conservation and sustainable use of coral reefs internationally.  In 2000, the CRTF adopted the National Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs which identified a suite of actions to be undertaken to further the understanding and conservation of our coral reef ecosystems.

Through its semi-annual meetings, the CRTF continues to develop and implement national strategies and targeted initiatives to strengthen stewardship of the coral reef ecosystems in the United States and internationally.  The CRTF has been instrumental in building partnerships for on-the-ground action to conserve coral reefs, including the development of additional management, education, monitoring, research, and restoration strategies, such as the Local Action Strategies mentioned above.

DOI jurisdictions with coral reefs; total area with coral reefs and other submerged lands are about 3,630,500 acres.

Highlight of OIA’s Coral Reef Program

Since 2000, OIA’s Coral Reef Initiative has awarded $500,000 annually in direct grants to the insular areas for coral reef conservation and management projects.  In addition, funds from other programs within OIA support projects that improve the health of coral reefs such as expanding or constructing new wastewater treatment facilities or reducing run-off, both of which increase water quality over the adjacent reefs. 
In the Federated States of Micronesia, for example, funding is currently being provided to develop a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).  In Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), significant plans to restore key watersheds are being developed to alleviate the effects of run-off and other threats to the adjacent coral reefs in Guam and the CNMI.  Also, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, OIA funding is being used to create a Coral Reef Research Center.

Natural Resource Assessment Surveys, Marshall Islands

An NRAS team collecting data near Namu Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

Natural Resource Assessment Survey (NRAS) teams are composed of marine scientists and conservationists from the insular areas and from abroad, along with scientists from National organizations like the Fish and Wildlife Service and the NOAA, all of whom are volunteers.  One of the NRAS teams’ responsibilities is to train local counterparts to continue their observations when they are finished.  The NRAS are conducted in the Marshall Islands to assess marine biodiversity, identify threats, and provide recommendations for marine resource management plans. 

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Micronesia Challenge

Ailuk Atoll, Marshall Islands Damselfish swimming in a reef.

In 2006, the Presidents of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands, and the Governors of Guam and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, committed to protect at least 30 percent of near-shore marine resources and 20 percent of terrestrial resources across Micronesia by 2020. 

Covering 6.7 million square kilometers of ocean, the Micronesia Challenge (Challenge) represents more than 20% of the Pacific Island region – and 5% of the largest ocean in the world.  The Challenge will help protect at least 66 known threatened species, 10% of the global total reef area and 462 coral species – that is 58% of all known corals. This ambitious challenge far exceeds current goals set by international conventions and treaties which call for countries to conserve 10 percent of marine and terrestrial resources by 2012.

The Nature Conservancy and Conservation International have committed $6 million to the initiative.  The pledge is designed to generate matching funds from other financial sources including donor countries, the Global Environment Facility and regional finance mechanisms like the Asian Development Bank.  The funding commitment is expected to generate up to $12 million in matching funds from other financing sources, for a total of $18 million.  FSM, Guam, CNMI, and RMI are developing sustainable financing plans for the Challenge, with all plans scheduled to be completed by end of FY08. 

OIA and NOAA and have contributed funds to the Challenge, including support for the December 2006 meeting in Palau at which a regional resource management and implementation framework was developed.  OIA and NOAA also provide support for local resource planning projects and participate on the support committee assisting the jurisdictions to meet the objectives of the initiative

The Micronesia Challenge has gained international recognition and is being copied in other regions, including the recently proposed “Caribbean Challenge”.

Attention Students!  If you would like to get involved, the Micronesia Challenge is seeking conservation "champions" to design and carry out outreach and educational programs. Each "champion" will receive $5,000 in stipends, a laptop, and funded travel for workshops and training. Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of Micronesia and either currently enrolled in a college or university or a recent college graduate. For more information, contact Willy Kostka, director of the Micronesia Conservation Trust at mctdirector@mail.fm.

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 2177
Kolonia, Pohnpei  96941