Coral reef ecosystems are highly valued as biological, ecological, cultural, and economic resources. In the past few decades, competing demands on coral reef ecosystems and increasing threats from both natural and anthropogenic stressors have contributed to a significant decline in coral reef health worldwide.
In an effort to provide coastal and ocean managers with the most up-to-date
scientific information to address the complex nature of the threats
facing coral reef ecosystems, NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program
developed the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Research Plan to
identify priority research needed to help advance management action
and guide priority setting for coral reef ecosystem research from FY
2007 to FY 2011.
The NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Research Plan is NOAA’s first agency-wide coral reef ecosystem research plan. Covering all coral reef ecosystems under the jurisdiction of the U.S. and Pacific Freely Associated States, the plan provides a national perspective on the research needed to address the range of stresses affecting the health of coral reef ecosystems, summarizes the management and other issues that will drive research at the regional level, and focuses on the use of research to guide effective implementation of ecosystem-based management strategies.
Note: To download the
region-specific priorities only, clicking on the region name.
To download a stand alone version of the regional priorities
(region-specifc priorities + the jurisdiction-wide priorities), click
on +jurisdiction-wide.
Puglise, K.A. and R. Kelty (eds.). 2007. NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Research Plan for Fiscal Years 2007 to 2011. Silver Spring, MD: NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program. NOAA Technical Memorandum CRCP 1. 128 pp.
