Griffin, Sean; Flynn, Katie; Irizarry, Emmanuel; Rodriguez, Pedro

Response to Physical Impacts on Coral Reefs in Puerto Rico and the USVI 2020 Report

2020

NOAA Restoration Center; Sea Ventures Marine Response Unit

"Since 2009, NOAAs Restoration Center (RC) performed restoration at 137 sites in Puerto Rico (PR) and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) and reattached over 48,000 corals. In 2020, the RC received reports of 23 groundings in PR and the USVI. Due to government implemented mandatory closures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, emergency restoration was only conducted at 1 site saving approximately 1,336 corals. The number of vessel groundings during 2020 was half the annual average due to COVID-19 restrictions on vessel operations. Closures due to COVID-19 also prevented response and restoration to the extensive coral reef damaged caused by the earthquakes in Puerto Rico. Response to physical impacts is a Jurisdictional Priority in both PR/USVI, an identified capacity gap in both jurisdictions, and a priority element of the draft Acropora recovery plan. Puerto Rico and the USVI have acknowledged that because of internal limitations and the need for quick and flexible response that more robust action on the part of NOAA was necessary to help stem the unchecked and unnecessary coral losses that were occurring after physical impacts."

coral, coral reef damage, Acropora, restoration, physical impact response, Puerto Rico, earthquake

NMFS

OHC

FY2020 CRCP Project ID 490; Project Title: Capacity Building for Coral Grounding Injuries in the Caribbean; Principal Investigator: Tom Moore