Significant New Actions Adopted by the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force

[Roger B Griffis]

Announcement:   Significant New Actions Adopted by the U.S. Coral Reef Task
Force at October 2-3 Meeting
        ** See HTTP://CORALREEF.GOV/ for meeting summary **

Dear Colleagues,

The United States Coral Reef Task Force took action on a number of
significant resolutions at its October 2-3 meeting in Puerto Rico.  A
summary of the meeting and resolutions is now available at the Task Force
web site
http://coralreef.gov/

Some highlights of the historic meeting are provided below.  If you need
additional information, please contact me at roger.b.griffis at noaa.gov.
Thank you.

Roger Griffis
_______________
Highlights:  U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Meeting
October 2-3, 2002  San Juan, Puerto Rico
[for more information and complete meeting summary see
http://coralreef.gov/]

1.  TASK FORCE ADOPTS NEW STRUCTURE, PRIORITIZES ACTION AREAS:
The 8th meeting of the United States Coral Reef Task Force (CRTF) was marked
by significant new commitments for strategically implementing the United
States National Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs. These commitments
include the adoption of a resolution improving the capacity of the Task
Force to advance implementation by:

    1. Endorsing six focus areas for priority action: land-based sources of
pollution, overfishing, lack of public
      awareness (with a focus on user groups), recreational overuse and
misuse, climate change and coral
      bleaching, and disease.
    2. Establishing two regional subcommittees to support local action
    3. Identifying methods for tracking progress toward national goals
    4. Highlighting needs and opportunities to strengthen human resources
for reef conservation

2.  USDA AND EPA COMMIT TO LEADING EFFORT TO REDUCE IMPACTS OF LAND-BASED
POLLUTION:
The United States Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection
Agency offered to co-lead an effort  to address the CRTF focus area of
land-based sources of pollution and invited all interested members of the
Task  Force to join in this effort.

3.  NEW INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS CLIMATE IMPACTS ON REEFS:
The Department of the Interior, Department of Commerce, and Environmental
Protection Agency offered to co-lead
 an effort to address the CRTF focus area of climate change and coral reefs
. The Task Force passed a resolution
 on coral reefs and climate change calling for an interagency,
public/private partnership to advance understanding
 and management.

4.  PUERTO RICO ANNOUNCES NEW EFFORTS TO CONSERVE REEFS:
Puerto Rico, the meeting's host, made historic commitments to advancing
coral reef management, with
support from NOAA, including:

    1.  Strengthening enforcement
    2.  Expanding and strengthening nature reserves
    3.  Improving understanding and management of recreational fisheries
    4.  Developing amendments to fisheries regulations
    5.  Convening a coral reef advisory committee for strategic planning

5.  STUDY LOOKING AT EFFECTIVENESS OF RESTORATION/MITIGATION EFFORTS:
In response to a presentation by the Department of the Interior, Fish and
Wildlife Service (FWS), the CRTF
 adopted a resolution directing applicable agencies to continue gathering
data on the effectiveness of compensatory
 mitigation effecting coral reef ecosystems. The initial findings presented
by FWS suggest that less than 1% of the
 compensation for loss of coral reef ecosystems was successfully implemented
in the cases examined.

6.  TASK FORCE HIGHLIGHTS CONCERNS ON TRADE IN CORAL REEF SPECIES:
A resolution on the international trade in coral and coral reef animals
restated the Task Force's suggestion that
 there is a need to reduce the adverse impacts of trade by encouraging more
responsible trade and improved coral
 reef management. The resolution further charges the Trade subgroup of the
International Working Group to provide
 further recommendations on key issues, especially in conjunction with
upcoming CITES meeting.

7.  EFFORT TO INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVOLVEMENT IN TASK FORCE:
The Task Force also adopted resolutions to explore options for increasing
stakeholder engagement, endorsing a
study proposal by the National Academy of Sciences, and providing testimony
to the U.S. Commission on Ocean
Policy.

8.  PROGRESS AND NEW REPORTS:
Reports following-up on previous task force decisions were presented on
vessel groundings, fisheries, and other topics.  Two new reports were
released as part of CRTF efforts:

       1.  The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and
Pacific Freely Associated States:  2002
            (http://www.nccos.noaa.gov/library/notables.html)
       2.  A National Coral Reef Action Strategy:
            Report to Congress on Implementation of the Coral Reef
Conservation Act of 2000 and the National Action
            Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs
            (http://http://coris.noaa.gov/)

 9.  HOT TOPIC PRESENTATIONS:
Presentations to the Task Force highlighted a number of issues and
initiatives.  See meeting summary (http://coralreef.gov/) for presentations
and authors.  Topics included:

*  update on the incidence and distribution of coral diseases;
*  the impacts of water quality and climate in the Florida Keys;
*  status of effort to map and characterize all U.S. reefs
(http://coralreef.gov/mapping/mpwg.cfm)
*  release of new U.S. public opinion poll on reefs
(http://www.coralreeffoundation.org/);
*  a regional threats analysis in the Caribbean
(http://www.wri.org/wri/reefsatrisk/reefriskcaribbean.html)
*  results of a REEFCHECK global volunteer monitoring study
(http://www.reefcheck.org/)
*  results of new coral reef expeditions in Florida and the Northwest
Hawaiian Islands (http://www.nccos.noaa.gov/library/notables.html)

10.  TASK FORCE AWARDS:
The  Task Force presented a number of awards in recognition of significant
activities supporting conservation and management of coral reef ecosystems.

  Roger B. Griffis <roger.b.griffis at noaa.gov>
  Policy Advisor
  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  U.S. Department of Commerce

  Roger B. Griffis
  Policy Advisor                                <roger.b.griffis at noaa.gov>
  National Oceanic and Atmospheric
  Administration
  U.S. Department of Commerce
  NOAA/NOS/ORR Rm 10116 1305 East West Highway  Pager: 877-632-5370
  Silver Spring                                 Fax: 301-713-4389
  MD                                            Work: 301-713-2989 x 115
  20910
  USA
  Additional Information:
  Last Name     Griffis
  First Name    Roger
  Version       2.1