[Coral-List] Notice of Intent to solicit information for designation of Coral Reef Research Centers under the Reauthorized Coral Reef Conservation Action of 2000

[Jennifer Koss - NOAA Federal]

Dear All,

NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) is soliciting information to
designate qualifying institutions in Covered States as Coral Reef Research
Centers (CRRC) in accordance with the Coral Reef Conservation Act (CRCA) of
2000, as reauthorized and amended by the James M. Inhofe National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Pub. L. 117-263, December 23, 2022,
136 Stat 2395; reauthorized CRCA).

As part of the preparation to designate CRRCs, and pursuant to the
reauthorized CRCA, this email is soliciting information from qualifying
institutions in covered States to be designated a CRRC. Coral Reef Research
Centers are a new provision in the reauthorized CRCA and as such we are
casting a wide net to get institutions designated as there are funding and
other considerations surrounding the designation of CRRCs within the
reauthorized CRCA.

CRRC eligibility:  The opportunity is open to institutions of higher
education and nonprofit marine research organizations in a Covered State
(Florida, Hawai’i, and the territories of American Samoa, the Commonwealth
of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico and the United States
Virgin Islands). The institution must have:

   -

   established management-driven national or regional coral reef research
   or restoration programs,
   -

   demonstrated abilities to coordinate closely with appropriate federal
   and state agencies and other academic and nonprofit organizations, and
   -

   must maintain significant local community engagement and outreach
   programs related to coral reef ecosystems.


An institution designated as a CRRC:

   -

   may be engaged in the development and revisions of the National Coral
   Reef Resilience Strategy,
   -

   may participate in Federal and/or Non-Federal coral reef stewardship
   partnerships, and
   -

   may be eligible for designation as the Atlantic or the Pacific Reef
   Research Coordination Institute, and
   -

   is eligible to apply for coral conservation grants under the Ruth D.
   Gates Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program in accordance with section 211
   of the reauthorized CRCA.


Please fill out this form
<https://coast.noaa.gov/data/coralreef_noaa_gov/media/docs/Coral_Reef_Research_Center_InterestForm_v3_508c.pdf>,
which will be available from September 1 to November 3, 2023, and is also
on the CRCP webpage <https://coralreef.noaa.gov/>.   Forms must be emailed
to coral.researchcenters at noaa.gov by 11:59 pm EST, Friday November 3, 2023.

Please feel free to contact coral.researchcenters at noaa.gov if you have any
questions about the designation process of a CRRC. We encourage you to
share this email with applicable partners and thank you for your support to
implement the reauthorized CRCA.


Sincerely,

Jennifer Koss

NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program Director


-- 

*"We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it
is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came."*

*~ John F. Kennedy*

*><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.><((((º>*

*Jennifer L. Koss*

*Director, *NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program

*Chair, *International Coral Reef Initiative

*Vice-Chair, *Coral Research and Development Accelerator Program

*Advisory Board, *Global Fund for Coral Reefs

NOS/OCM/Corals|1305 East-West Highway|SilverSpring|MD 20910

+1 240 338 2161 (cell)|+1 240 639 8448 (google voice)

https://coralreef.noaa.gov/

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