Coral Reef Conservation Program

Awareness and Appreciation Focus Area

The Awareness and Appreciation Focus Area was formed to address coral reef degradation that can be attributed to a lack of knowledge or understanding by the general public, which is a recognized threat to coral reefs by the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force. Impacts from activities conducted by users who are unaware of the presence and vulnerability of the reefs can be reduced through a combination of strategies to increase awareness and refine specific user practices.

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Video Transcript

Narrator: Coral Reefs are alive! They contain millions of tiny animals that form a spectacular and complex community. Reefs provide nurseries and a safe haven for hundreds of fish and other marine life. They are valuable natural resources that protect our coasts by reducing wave energy from storms and hurricanes.

Coral reefs in Florida are usually associated with the Florida Keys. However, extensive and beautiful coral reefs are also found off Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Martin counties, north of the Keys.

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Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative

In 2000, the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) adopted a National Action Plan to conserve coral reefs. With guidance from the USCRTF, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission coordinated the formation of a team of interagency and non-agency marine resource professionals, scientists, resource users and other stakeholders. The Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative (SEFCRI) Team first gathered in May 2003 to develop local action strategies targeting coral reefs and associated reef resources from Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Martin counties to improve the coordination of technical and financial support for the conservation and management of coral reefs. SEFCRI is targeting this region because the coral habitats are close to shore and co-exist with intensely urbanized areas that lack a coordinated management plan (like that of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary).

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Coral Reef Conservation Program

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