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International Engagement

Reefs in the Indo-Pacific region, like this reef in Australia, have greater coral species diversity than their counterparts in the Atlantic/Caribbean.
Reefs in the Indo-Pacific region, like this reef in Australia, have greater coral species diversity than their counterparts in the Atlantic/Caribbean. Photo credit: Dave Burdick

Conserving the nation's coral reefs cannot be accomplished by domestic efforts alone. Our coral reefs are ecologically connected to those abroad. Additionally, the most significant threats they face—climate change and ocean acidification—are global in nature.

Effectively conserving coral reefs and the services they provide depends upon sound ecosystem-based management practices and good governance—from local communities to multinational regions. Together with our partners, we work in more than 40 countries and multilateral regions globally, with particular focus in the Coral Triangle, Micronesia, the South Pacific, and the wider Caribbean

What We Are Doing

The Coral Reef Conservation Program International serves as the U.S. government's scientific and technical body to strengthen governance and management capacity. Our international strategy is designed to bring more focus to topics and regions where we can have the greatest impact by building on NOAA's strengths, enhancing partnerships, and leveraging resources, and expertise. Our major focus is on marine protected areas where we:

  • Work with regional initiatives to build marine protected area networks and enhance local management capacity to support coral reef conservation and the people that depend on them;
  • Develop tools and practices to more effectively observe, predict, communicate, and manage the impacts from a changing climate; and
  • Strengthen local and national capacity to reduce the impacts of fishing and pollution on coral reef ecosystems and respond to emerging issues, such as coral disease outbreaks.