Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are one of the world’s most valuable ecosystems in terms of ecological, economic and cultural capital. However, recent reports indicate that 58 to 70 percent of coral reefs globally are directly threatened by human-associated activities and increasing global bleaching events. Overfishing, intensive boating and recreational impacts, and land-based sources of pollution in the form of sediments and excess nutrients threaten coral ecosystems and reduce their resilience to environmental stressors.

NFWF seeks to promote healthy coral reef ecosystems characterized by high fish biomass, low macroalgal cover, high coral recruitment, and the provision of key ecosystem services. To help achieve this vision, NFWF tracks progress under the Coral Reef Conservation Fund towards three primary milestones for U.S. coral reefs. 

1. Threat reduction at priority reefs that are important seed reefs to broader reef complexes to alleviate local stressors and promote healthy, coral-dominated, and resilient reefs. 
2. Promote active coral restoration in which nursery-grown corals are out-planted to natural reefs, by building capacity for propagation and direct restoration of damaged or degraded reefs. 
3. Advance coral science and restoration by supporting testing and refinement of best management practices, documentation of case studies, and dissemination of information to benefit the coral conservation and management communities across the U.S. 

In 2020, NFWF celebrated its 20th anniversary supporting coral conservation. Since 2000, the program has awarded $23 million across 417 projects, leveraging more than $31 million in conservation resources. Grants have assisted broad-scale coral reef management by establishing new techniques for assessing and monitoring reef health and new fishery management models. Site-specific initiatives have developed and implemented watershed management plans, reduced sediment erosion through stream bank stabilization, provided incentives or best management practices on agricultural lands, and supported capacity-building of management and conservation organizations to sustain outcomes.

NFWF manages the Coral Reef Conservation Fund in partnership with NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program and Aramco, with additional support from USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service.