Abstract Summary
It is widely recognized that active coral restoration is a necessary component of coral reef habitat management in the U.S. and broader Caribbean. Inevitably, permit(s) of some kind are required to undertake coral restoration, notably when those activities occur within marine protected areas, which are most often the focus of such efforts. While often viewed by practitioners as a bureaucratic impediment of the restoration process, permits provide a tool for coral reef managers to track activities, garner key data on efficacy of programs, and ensure that restoration activities do not interfere with other critical research or monitoring programs. Most importantly, through permitting, managers can ensure that multiple, discrete restoration programs are working towards a broad, holistic goal of habitat restoration. There are times, however, when emergency coral restoration actions, such as response to vessel groundings or coral disease outbreaks, must be implemented immediately. In those instances, having streamlined processes in place to address legal requirements (such as those of the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act and Endangered Species Act, among others) greatly facilitates critical coral restoration work. NOAA’s Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary used lessons learned during Hurricane Irma and a large-scale coral disease outbreak to refine and implement such simplified permitting processes.
