Abstract Summary
Recent efforts to combat coral reef decline have focused on increasing resilience by reducing local stressors, but these management strategies alone are insufficient. In each U.S. State, Territory and Commonwealth with coral reefs, there are corals that are already locally stress-adapted, thriving in stressful environments such as harbors, inlets, or in areas with poor water circulation. These “adapted corals” have demonstrated adaptation to attributes that have allowed them to endure harsh conditions such as higher temperatures, increased turbidity, elevated levels of toxins, and decreased salinity. These resistant and resilient corals could provide stocks of significant restoration potential for local coral reefs. The All Islands Coral Reef Committee (AIC) and the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) have established a new working group dedicated to this initiative to help preserve and restore the functions of these valuable coastal ecosystems. The purpose of this working group is to support locally led teams in each U.S. coral reef jurisdiction (American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands) that can select, cultivate, and transplant adapted corals or those raised for specific attributes. Each jurisdiction has been responsible for identifying managers and researchers for their local working group as well as guidelines for implementation. On behalf of the USCRTF Restoration Working Group, I will present the efforts to date of each jurisdiction including any research gaps, challenges or obstacles, and immediate needs.
