The public can comment on a draft of a federal plan to conserve coral reefs in the U.S.
The National Coral Reef Resilience Strategy will be used to protect reefs around Hawaiʻi, Florida, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, the U.S. Pacific Remote Island Area and other areas.
The strategy will be in place from 2025 to 2040.
By 2035, the government wants to have stable or improved water quality in priority watersheds. By 2040, it wants to restore or preserve populations of reef-building coral in key areas, and have sustainable coral reef fisheries. It also wants coral reef services to have equitable benefits for coastal communities.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is accepting online comments on the draft strategy until Nov. 25. Comments can be made online, where the draft strategy can also be found.
