The Coral Reef Conservation Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationthis year awarded more than $8.4 million in grants and cooperative agreements to support conservation and scientific studies that benefit coral reef management.
The NOAA funds are divided across seven U.S. states — including Hawaii — and territories, the Caribbean and Micronesia.
The funds are for three primary threats to coral reefs, says NOAA: “global climate change, land-based sources of pollution and unsustainable fishing practices, as well as priority coral reef regions and watersheds.”
Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, meanwhile, will receive $300,000 to enhance sustainable coral reef monitoring and management capacity.
Chad Blair is the Politics and Opinion Editor for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at cblair@civilbeat.org or follow him on Twitter at @chadblairCB.