Griffin, Sean; Nemeth, Michael

Response to Physical Impacts on Coral Reefs in Puerto Rico and the USVI 2021 Report

2021

NOAA Restoration Center

"Since 2006, NOAAs Restoration Center (RC) performed restoration at 142 sites in Puerto Rico (PR) and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) and reattached over 60,000 corals (Table 1). In 2021, the RC received reports of 28 groundings in PR and the USVI . Emergency restoration conducted at three sites in 2021 saved approximately 2,360 corals. Damage at these sites were the result of a hurricane, derelict fishing gear and a derelict buoy. 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. 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, coral restoration, Puerto Rico, USVI

NMFS

OHC

FY2021 CRCP Project ID 490; Project Title: Capacity Building for Coral Grounding Injuries in the Caribbean; Principal Investigator: Sean Griffin