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Program Areas

Coral reefs are threatened by an increasing array of impacts—primarily from global climate change, unsustainable fishing, and pollution. We bring together expertise from across NOAA for a multidisciplinary approach to conserving coral reef ecosystems, conducting active coral reef restoration, and addressing existing and emerging threats.

Image of fish swimming.
Improve Fisheries’ Sustainability

Unsustainable fishing practices in coral reef areas can lead to the loss of ecologically and economically important fish species. Such losses often have a ripple effect not just on the coral reef ecosystems themselves, but also on the local economies that depend on them.


Image of a bleached coral in American Samoa
Increase Resilience to Climate Change

Climate change affects coral ecosystems through increasing sea surface temperatures, sea level rise, changes in precipitation patterns, storm intensity and currents, with the greatest impacts being increased coral bleaching and incidence of disease. Additionally, increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere changes ocean chemistry and harms reef-building corals.

image of a sediment plume
Reduce Land Based Sources of Pollution

The effects of land-based sources of pollution, such as coastal development and agricultural runoff, can impede coral growth and reproduction, disturb ecological function and cause disease.

image of bleached coral fragments
Restore Viable Coral Populations

Restoration is an approach to saving coral reefs that specifically addresses building and maintaining resistance and resilience to threats and will drive recovery of the ecosystem.