Issue
Shelf edge spur-and-groove reef
Photo by Emmanuel Irizarry, UPR-M
Coral reefs, one of the most valuable and spectacular environments
on earth, are also one of the most productive and diverse marine
ecosystems. Coral reefs are also valuable assets that contribute
to a healthy economy by providing food, jobs, and protection from
storms. They create habitat for many fish and invertebrate species
with commercial value, support tourism and recreational industries,
and shelter coastlines from storm disturbance. Coral reef related
activities provide a significant economic benefit for many regions
of the United States and the rest of the world.
Scientific evidence indicates that coral reefs are deteriorating
rapidly worldwide. Symptoms of this decline include the loss of
hard corals, an increased abundance of algae, and conspicuous
bleaching episodes and disease outbreaks. Scientists and managers
still lack critical information about many of the causes of coral
decline, but evidence points to stresses caused by a variety of
human factors (see inset above). Human impacts act separately
and in combination with natural factors such as hurricanes, high
water temperature, and disease to stress corals and degrade reef
systems.
Puerto Rico possesses exceptional and beautiful coral reefs.
With a linear coastline of 620 km, it is surrounded by over 5,000
km2 of easily accessible (< 20 m depth) coral reef ecosystems.
However, high population density and intense land uses have resulted
in adverse impacts to the reefs, including sedimentation, eutrophication,
and pollution. The effects of overfishing and algal growth further
compound these adverse impacts. As a result, there is an ever-increasing
need to strengthen resource management capacity through timely,
state-of-the-art science and monitoring activities to ensure the
long-term sustainability of Puerto Rico's coral reef ecosystems.
Approach
The Caribbean Coral Reef Institute (CCRI) is a Congressionally-directed
program administered by NOAA's Center for Sponsored coastal Ocean
Research that funds scientific research and monitoring of Puerto
Rico 's coastal reefs. The goal of CCRI is to engage in research
and monitoring activities that are applicable to improvement of coral
reel management strategies and that will help build management
capability within Puerto Rico . CCRI also aims at fully utilizing
the resource base of the region when implementing its activities.
This core strength of this program is that its research and monitoring
activities will be run as a competitive selection process in a
partnership between the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (UPR-M)
and the Commonwealth's Department of Natural and Environmental
Resources (DNER). Within this framework and to achieve its objectives,
yearly priorities for the annual proposal competition are set
through a consultative process between the two main partners and
other related agencies and organizations with interest in Puerto
Rico 's coral reef resources. This process will provide resource
managers with timely, highest quality scientific information.
Presently, CCRI is focusing in five major areas of activity:
- Basic assessment of resources
- Understanding of reef processes
- Enhancing MPA process
- Impacts of water quality on coral reef health
- Dynamics of coral diseases and syndromes
Data Collection along a reef transect
Photo by Hector Ruiz, UPR-M
In FY2005, Congress appropriated $500K to continue the work of
CCRI-RP for year-2. CSCOR requested from UPR-M a proposal to implement
these funds, and has vetted it through its rigorous peer-review
process, and the CCRI team has addressed reviewer comments. The
proposal has been recommended for funding and will be sent to
NOAA's Grants Office for processing. In the FY2005 proposal, CCRI
has continued to focus in the same five areas identified earlier.
Management and Policy Implications
CCRI's partnership between the UPR - M and the DNER will ensure
that state of the science information is made available in a timely
manner to the agency responsible for the protection of coral reefs
in Puerto Rico . The close collaboration in CCRI between scientists
and managers will result in scientifically sound management strategies
and policies. Finally, CCRI will also provide a mechanism through
which management practices can be evaluated and modified as necessary
in order to maximize their effectiveness.
Accomplishments
FY2004 was the first year of CCRI. For year-1, CCRI funded 10
individual projects addressing four of its five focus areas. These
projects were continuations of priorities previously set by DNER
through its Puerto Rico Coral Reef Monitoring Program or new studies
proposed by local scientists. Results from these studies are due
soon, some are still undergoing, while others are waiting for
permitting necessary for implementation.
Current Projects
- Habitat mapping of the west coast of Puerto Rico
- Selective
monitoring of Puerto Rico coral reefs
- Monitoring of the marine
ornamental fishery in Puerto Rico - Phase II
- Mona
reef community structure and function for MPA design
- Testing
strategies for the effective development and implementation
of MPAs protecting coral reefs
- Determination
of reef fish spawning aggregation sites in Puerto Rico
- Cyanobacterial
and algal epizoic growth on corals
- The extent of clonality
in selected species of hermatypic corals in Puerto Rico
- Coral settlement and early post-settlement survivorship:
Experimental studies of factors that affect recruitment success
- Remote instrument array support for NOAA's La Parguera Natural
Reserve CREWS station
Related Links
For More Information
Note: CCRI is a Cooperative Agreement between the University of Puerto Rico/Mayaguez and NOAA's Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research (CSCOR). CCRI is a core component of NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program.