Publications and Data

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This page presents a collection of publications and access to additional publications and data on a variety of coral ecosystem topics; some were compiled by the CRCP, but there are also many listed that were produced by other organizations and institutions, as well as some produced in partnership with NOAA and/or the CRCP. It is not intended to be a comprehensive list, but rather to serve as a starting point for those who wish to do further reading or research into these topics. For a collection of resources specific to the CRCP or other parts of NOAA, click here.

Value of Coral Ecosystems
Status of Coral Ecosystems
Guidelines for Responding to Threats to Coral Ecosystems
Socioeconomics and Coral Ecosystems
Marine Protected Areas in Coral Ecosystems
Strategic Planning for Coral Ecosystems
Management and Decision-making Tools for Coral Ecosystems
Data and Products for Coral Ecosystems
Accomplishments and Progress Reports Related to Coral Ecosystems

Value of Coral Ecosystems

Economic Values of Coral Reefs, Mangroves, and Seagrasses: A Global Compilation 2008 (pdf, 778 kb)
The booklet compiles the results of a wide variety of economic valuation studies on coral reef and related ecosystems around the world, with a focus on tourism, fisheries, coastal protection, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration.

In the front line: Shoreline protection and other ecosystem services from mangroves and coral reefs (2006)
The publication aims to help decision and policy makers around the world understand the importance of coastal habitats to humans, focusing on the role of coral reefs and mangroves. As well as coastal protection, it also addresses the huge range of other benefits provided by these ecosystems and the role that they can play in coastal development and in restoring livelihoods for those suffering from the effects of extreme events.

The Economics of Worldwide Coral Reef Degradation. (2003, pdf, 1.38 mb)
Reefs provide a variety of goods and services, which create economic benefits to society. These economic benefits are often taken for granted, yet if these goods and services were taken away or destroyed, we would be forced to provide other methods to supply these benefits at significant costs. This report explores the benefits provided by coral reefs and the costs to society to replace them.

Coral Reef Valuation Database (Zipped Microsoft Access File, 131 kb)
This bibliography was compiled to provide an annotated bibliography of existing literature and data on the socioeconomic aspects of coral reefs, along with a database containing the estimated values in support of benefits transfer applications. It was last updated in August of 2002.

United Nations Atlas of the Oceans
The Atlas is an information system designed for use by policy makers who need to become familiar with ocean issues and by scientists, students and resource managers who need access to underlying data bases and approaches to sustainability. It is maintained by the World Resources Institute.

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Status of Coral Ecosystems

Reefs at Risk Revisited (2011)
Under the Reefs at Risk Revisited project, World Resources Institute and its partners have developed a new, detailed assessment of the status of and threats to the world's coral reefs. It evaluates threats to coral reefs from a wide range of human activities, and includes an assessment of climate-related threats to reefs. It also contains a global assessment of the vulnerability of nations and territories to coral reef degradation. This information is intended to raise awareness about the location and severity of threats to coral reefs. These results can also catalyze opportunities for changes in policy and practice that could safeguard coral reefs and the benefits they provide to people for future generations.

Status of Caribbean Coral Reefs After Bleaching and Hurricanes in 2005 (2008)
This is a report from 70 coral reef scientists and managers documenting what happened to their coral reefs due to the warming and storms of 2005. This book documents the devastating effects on coral reefs of the Caribbean and Atlantic basins during the hottest year on record for the Northern Hemisphere.

The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States: 2008
This is the third in a series of reports characterizing the condition of shallow water coral reef ecosystems in the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States; there is also a 2005 and 2002 (pdf, 7.2 mb) edition available. The 2005 and 2008 editions are based primarily on the most recent quantitative monitoring data available, rather than qualitative assessments of ecosystem conditions that were used in the 2002 edition. These biennial reports are called for by the National Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs.

Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2008
This report is the 5^th global report that aims to present the current status of the world's coral reefs, the threats to the reefs, and the initiatives being undertaken to arrest the decline in the world's coral reefs. Reports are also available from 2004, 2002, 2000, and 1998. These reports have been produced using the data and information from many coral reef experts around the world.

The State of Deep Coral Ecosystems of the United States: 2007
Called for in the President's Ocean Action Plan, this peer-reviewed report contains an up-to-date assessment of deep coral ecosystems in US waters. including: the biology of deep corals and their associated species, their spatial distribution, the stressors that may threaten their survival, current management measures, and regional priorities for future research. (NOAA Technical Memorandum CRCP 3)

Reefs at Risk Caribbean (2004)
Following the model began with the first region-specific report, this evaluation incorporated a much higher-resolution analysis, and provided an improved tool for analyzing the impacts of human activities on reefs in this region.

Reefs at Risk Southeast Asia (2002)
This evaluation is 16 times more detailed than the global study and incorporates features like the consideration of natural vulnerability, management effectiveness of protected areas, and an economic valuation. It had the objective of refining the original data and model for the region and providing a tool for analyzing the impacts of human activities on coral reefs.

United Nations World Atlas of Coral Reefs (2001)
Together with partners around the world United Nations Environmental Programme-World Conservation Monitoring Centre has compiled data on a broad range of coral reef related topics. These have been synthesized to present a unique global base-line—it was the most definitive and comprehensive overview of the world's coral reefs produced at the time of its publication and contains invaluable information and statistics, including global estimates for coral reefs world-wide and, for the first time, presented reef area estimates for individual countries supported by detailed maps and statistics for all the world's coral reef nations. Only portions of the document are available online.

Reefs at Risk: A Map-Based Indicator of Threat's to the World's Coral Reefs (1998)
This global, map-based analysis evaluates human pressure on coral reefs worldwide and provides information and tools to better manage coastal habitats—it was the first global, quantitative assessment of threats to coral reefs ever conducted.

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Guidelines for Responding to Threats to Coral Ecosystems

Reef Resilience (R2) Toolkit Version 3.2 (2011)
The latest version of the Reef Resilience (R2) Toolkit is a must for managers. The two Toolkit modules, Coral Reefs and Fish Spawning Aggregations, provide coral reef managers with guidance on building resilience to climate change into the design of MPAs and daily management activities.

Field Manual for Investigating Coral Disease Outbreaks (2008)
This publication is intended to serve as an operational guide to coordinate effective, informative responses by outbreak response teams to unusual incidents of coral disease or mortality. It was developed as an aid to provide context and consistency for outbreak investigations and to help train coral disease outbreak response teams so that coordinated response operations can be executed. (NOAA Technical Memorandum CRCP 6)

Coral Disease and Health Workshop: Coral Histopathology II (2007)
This workshop report contains a description of a study set of histology slides used in reaching consensus histopathological descriptions for selected coral lesions representing 15 types of field diagnosis, nine presumed disease conditions, and eight scleractinian and one gorgonian species.  Supportive information was developed during the group discussions and is provided in the report. (NOAA Technical Memorandum CRCP 4)

A Reef Manager's Guide to Coral Bleaching (2006)
This publication provides information on the causes and consequences of coral bleaching, and management strategies to help local and regional reef managers reduce this threat to coral reef ecosystems.

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Socioeconomics and Coral Ecosystems

Indicators to Assess Community-level Social Vulnerability to Climate Change: An Addendum to SocMon and SEM-Pasifica Regional Socioeconomic Monitoring Guidelines (2011, pdf, 622 kb)
The purpose of this addendum is to provide a minimum set of socioeconomic indicators related to climate change. These can be included in a socioeconomic assessment of any site for which climate change impacts are an important issue. The resulting information can then inform coastal management needs and adaptive management. This document is being added to regional socioeconomic monitoring guidelines produced by the Global Socioeconomic Monitoring Initiative for Coastal Management (SocMon) and its Pacific counterpart, SEM-Pasifika, which aim to improve site management of coastal and marine areas by providing simple, user-friendly guidelines on how to conduct a socioeconomic assessment.   Such assessments help coastal managers incorporate community views into adaptive management of marine resources..

People and Oceans: Managing Marine Areas for Human Well-being (2010)
Although much research has been done on the ecological benefits and challenges of marine resource management, comparatively little insight has been gained into the benefits and challenges of the human well-being aspects. This document addresses this gap by building on existing knowledge and synthesizing over 20 social science studies conducted over the past five years in 19 countries, involving over 35 scientists, and drawing on experiences in 52 marine managed areas worldwide.

Socioeconomic Conditions Along the World's Tropical Coasts: 2008 (2008, pdf, 1.9 mb)
The world's tropical coasts are home to over two billion people, many of whom live in poverty and depend on coastal resources such as coral reef fish for their livelihood, sustenance, and cultural traditions. This report synthesizes data from individual socioeconomic assessments to quantify and qualify regional and global dependence on coral reef resources, perceptions of resource conditions, threats to marine and coastal resources, and support for marine management strategies such as marine protected areas. Data are included from 49 studies, representing close to 14,000 household surveys conducted in hundreds of communities in 27 countries.

Demographic Baseline Report of US Territories and Counties Adjacent to Coral Reef Habitats (2008)
This report is a compilation and synthesis of information from existing sources, focusing on recent demographic, economic, and population projection variables of resident populations in US jurisdictions adjacent to coral reef habitats. Variables reported on include: population and density, population and adjacent coral reef habitat, gender, age, place of birth, race/ethnicity, language, education, income, employment, housing, development and tourism.

Poverty and reefs: a global overview (2003)
A diversity of different people worldwide depend upon coral reefs for many different reasons. Many millions of these people are poor and for them the coral reef represents an important resource which contributes to many aspects of their livelihood. However, the ability of the reefs to provide income and food security and buffer seasonal and periodic hardships is being eroded. This study brings together a large amount of information to provide a cohesive body of knowledge that can inform policy.

Socioeconomic Monitoring (SocMon) Guidelines for Coastal Managers Regional Series (2003-2008)
This series of guidelines were developed to compliment the Socioeconomic Manual for Coral Reef Management by providing a simpler, more structured set of guidelines for monitoring coastal communities, which can then be tailored to site needs. The two documents are meant to be used together—SocMon Guidelines for the priority variables to assess, the questions to ask and the tables to analyze the data, and the Socioeconomic Manual for the details of how to do it. Each set of SocMon Guidelines is tailored to the specific needs of a coastal manager in a particular region: SocMon Caribbean, SocMon South Asia, SocMon Southeast Asia, SEM-Pasifika, and SocMon Western Indian Ocean.

Socioeconomic Manual for Coral Reef Management (2000)
The Socioeconomic Manual for Coral Reef Management was developed to help managers better understand human communities, so that they can more effectively incorporate stakeholder concerns into the management process, determine the effects of management decisions on coastal communities, and demonstrate the value of the reef resources to the general public, stakeholder groups and policy-makers. The manual provides practical, step-by-step guidelines on how to conduct socioeconomic assessments of reef stakeholders.

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Marine Protected Areas in Coral Ecosystems

Ecological Effects of Marine Managed Areas (2011)
Scientists used a network of interdisciplinary studies to investigate the ecological effects of marine managed areas (MMAs) dispersed widely across the tropics. The results indicate that rigorously enforced MMAs can be an effective management tool to reduce overuse of natural resources and conflicts among different uses of the ocean. In addition, MMAs can provide important data for adaptive management of marine resources. This four-page policy brief draws from the Living with the Sea report which examines the role of MMAs in restoring and sustaining healthy oceans, particularly the importance of local management efforts.

User's Guide for the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program MPA Checklist (2011, pdf, 207 kb)
This user's guide was developed as a reference to be used with the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program MPA Checklist to provide further clarification on the fourteen assessment areas addressed in the checklist, and to assist assessment participants in the selection of a specific tier for each assessment area. The guide includes instructions on how to conduct assessment interviews and how to complete the checklist document.

NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program MPA Management Assessment Checklist (2010, pdf, 114 kb)
This MPA Management Assessment Checklist was developed as a simple tool to assess the management of MPAs in priority coral reef sites in US jurisdictions and internationally, areas important to the CRCP and jurisdictional partners. This checklist will allow the CRCP to better understand the needs of its partners in the MPA management community and help managers build and/or maintain the management capacity necessary for successful implementation of their MPA management goals and objectives.

Marine Managed Areas: What, Why, and Where (2010)
Marine Managed Areas: What, Why, and Where is a reader-friendly, richly illustrated 16-page booklet that defines MMAs and discusses the challenges of implementation. Based on five years of natural and social science research in 23 countries, it is intended to advance discussions among government agencies, non-government organizations, user groups, and other stakeholders about how and why to implement integrated management for the ocean. Marine Managed Areas: What, Why, and Where is a publication of the Science-to-Action partnership, which includes more than 75 organizations led by Conservation International’s Marine Management Area Science Program.

Coral Reef Habitat Assessments for US Marine Protected Areas (2009)
In the National Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs (2000) and the National Coral Reef Action Strategy (2002), the US Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) established a key conservation objective of protecting at least 20 percent of US coral reefs and associated habitat types in no-take marine reserves.  This project's objective was to determine the amount of US coral reef habitat that is currently protected within MPAs and no-take marine reserves and gather in one place the digital boundaries for these sites.

Report on the Status of Marine Protected Areas in Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States: Volume 1 (2007, pdf, 5.26 mb)
This report is the first-ever inventory and assessment of US marine protected areas (MPAs) managed by State and Territory governments, as called for by the National Action Plan of the US Coral Reef Task Force. The report utilizes data collected in the National Marine Managed Inventory as well as the expertise of NOAA and state and territory co-authors to explore the management status of 207 MPAs located across the seven US jurisdictions containing coral reefs. (NOAA Technical Memorandum CRCP 2)

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Strategic Planning for Coral Ecosystems

Coral Health and Disease in the Pacific: Vision for Action (2009)
Recognizing the need for a strategic plan of action to combat a health crisis for Pacific Reefs, the Coral Disease and Health Consortium (CDHC) convened a workshop to help organize and coordinate a scientific effort focused specifically on coral health issues in the Pacific. This report documents the proceedings of the workshop. (NOAA Technical Memorandum CRCP 7)

Draft NOAA Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge Research and Management Strategic Plan
NOAA is the lead federal agency mandated to protect and preserve the Nation's marine resources, including deep-sea coral and sponge ecosystems. As our understanding of these resources has grown, so too has the need to target research and management actions. The Draft NOAA Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge Research and Management Strategic Plan represents a concerted effort to identify exploration, research, management, and international activities that provide the necessary information to implement appropriate management measures to protect and conserve deep-sea coral and sponge ecosystems.

NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program Goals & Objectives 2010-2015 (2009, pdf, 2.52 mb)
The CRCP is narrowing the focus of its US domestic program and shifting allocation of CRCP resources to taking on-the-ground and in-the-water action.  The CRCP will emphasize efforts on understanding and addressing the top three recognized global threats to coral reef ecosystems: climate change impacts, fishing impacts, and impacts from land-based sources of pollution. This document, launched in June of 2009, provides strategic guidance on the CRCP domestic priorities for FY 2010-2015.

NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program International Strategy 2010-2015 (2009, pdf, 1.50 mb)
The CRCP is expanding its international presence by becoming more actively involved in coral conservation efforts abroad, primarily in the Pacific, the Coral Triangle region, and the Caribbean. This document, launched in June of 2009, provides strategic guidance on the CRCP's international priorities for FY 2010-2015.

Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems Research Strategy: International Workshop to Prioritize Research and Management Needs (2009)
In October 2009, this research strategy was developed based upon the 2008 Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems Workshop hosted by the Perry Institute for Marine Science and organized by NOAA (the Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research and National Undersea Research Program) and the US Geological Survey.  It identifies critical research needs to help inform management and guide NOAA supported activities related to mesophotic coral ecosystems.

NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Integrated Observing System (CREIOS) Workshops Report (2009, pdf, 564 kb)
As part of its efforts to implement the Roadmap for the Future, the CRCP is reviewing its portfolio of monitoring and mapping activities, collectively called the Coral Reef Ecosystem Integrated Observing System (CREIOS), to ensure they are cost-effective, aligned with jurisdictional management needs, and able to deliver products and services in a timely manner to essential users, given funding constraints.  This report details the outcomes of the workshop convened to examine the CRCP's portfolio of mapping, monitoring, and assessment activities in the US Pacific reef jurisdictions and will be used as a preamble to the identification of priorities and the capacity assessments for each US reef jurisdiction.

NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program Roadmap for the Future: A Plan for Developing CRCP Priorities Through FY15 (2008, pdf, 461 kb)
In response to recommendations from an independent external review of the CRCP, CRCP developed this Roadmap in July of 2008, laying out new principles and priorities for the future of the CRCP.  This document is the predecessor to the Goals & Objectives and International Strategy listed above.

NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Research Plan for Fiscal Years 2007 to 2011 (2007)
The NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Research Plan is NOAA's first agency-wide coral reef ecosystem research plan.  Covering all coral reef ecosystems under the jurisdiction of the US and Pacific Freely Associated States, the plan provides a national perspective on the research needed to address the range of stresses affecting the health of coral reef ecosystems, summarizes the management and other issues that will drive research at the regional level, and focuses on the use of research to guide effective implementation of ecosystem-based management strategies. (NOAA Technical Memorandum CRCP 1)

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Management and Decision-making Tools for Coral Ecosystems

Marine Integrated Decision Analysis System (MIDAS)
MIDAS is a software tool that was developed by the Science to Action partnership to enable managers and stakeholders to (1) understand the critical factors that influence the outcomes of marine managed areas (MMAs), (2) estimate likely MMA outcomes based on the ecological, socioeconomic and governance conditions, and (3) develop management plans to optimize the outcomes.

Science-to-Action Guidebook (2011)
Recognizing the importance of informed decisions and the differences between the scientific and decision-making processes, this guidebook provides practical tips on how to best bring these worlds together. In doing so, this guidebook emphasizes the roles of facilitating, synthesizing, translating, and communicating science to inform conservation action. The guidebook consists of two sections called "A Decision-maker's Guide to Using Science" and "A Scientist's Guide to Influencing Decision-making". It is geared toward the perspective of scientists and decision-makers working in tropical developing nations and focusing on marine resource management issues. However, the concepts are applicable to a broad range of scientists and decision-makers worldwide.

Economic Incentives for Marine Conservation (2010, pdf, 1.7 mb)
This 40-page guidebook provides recommendations on how to select and implement incentive-based solutions: buyouts, conservation agreements, and alternative livelihoods. A four-page policy brief entitled Economic incentives motivate human behavior change (pdf, 900 kb) summarizes this document.

Bridging the Gap Between Human Culture and Conservation (2010, pdf, 1.0 mb)
This four-page policy brief discusses the mutual dependence of humans on their surrounding environment, and the role of cultural beliefs and behaviors as the mediating force between the two.

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Data and Products for Coral Ecosystems

Coral Reef Information System
In 2002, the CRCP launched the Coral Reef Information System (CoRIS) Website as a single point of access to NOAA coral reef information and data products. The site provides access to general coral information, publications, an extensive glossary, professional exchanges, region-specific data, photos  and summaries of NOAA's coral reef activities.

Coral Point Count with Excel extensions (CPCe)
Coral Point Count with Excel extensions (CPCe) is Windows-based software that provides a tool for the determination of benthic cover using transect photographs. A specified number of spatially random points are distributed on a transect image and the features underlying the points are user-identified. Coverage statistics are then calculated and the results sent to Excel spreadsheets automatically. Additionally, CPCe can be used for image calibration and area determination and analysis of benthic features. Excel sheets are automatically generated to summarize the area calculations for each image. CPCe is provided by the National Coral Reef Institute (NCRI) free of charge to interested researchers.

Visual HEA
Visual HEA is a program that provides an efficient method of calculating the required compensation following injury to natural resources using Habitat Equivalency Analysis (HEA). Because HEA results are highly dependent upon assumptions, it is useful to examine sensitivity of results using a range of parameter values. Visual_HEA facilitates comparisons by offering an intuitive graphical interface that allows the user to modify input parameters and quickly alter the lost and gain service level shape functions. The ability to formulate many scenarios provides an efficient method of gauging the sensitivity of the required compensatory action scale to the analysis parameterization and time variability. Visual HEA is provided by the National Coral Reef Institute (NCRI) free of charge to interested researchers.

Coral Health Index: Measuring Coral Community Health
Coral reefs that are healthy have greater resilience and ability to recover from chronic and acute stress. Global-scale stresses associated with climate change include elevated sea surface temperatures, ocean acidification, sea level rise, and increasing storm intensity. Adaptive management of coral reef communities will be most effective if a reliable annual indicator of community health is available to resource managers and policymakers. The Coral Health Index (CHI) is such a tool; it is freely available from Science to Action.

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Accomplishments and Progress Reports Related to Coral Ecosystems

CRCP Annual Accomplishments Reports
These reports detail the accomplishments of the CRCP between 2003 and present day.  They are compiled on an annual basis at the conclusion of the previous fiscal year. 

Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program 2008-2009 (2010)
In February 2010, NOAA released the second biennial Report to Congress and the public on the Implementation of the Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program 2008-2009. The report, prepared in consultation with the Regional Fishery Management Councils, summarizes activities initiated with fiscal year 2009 Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program funding. It also presents a brief synopsis of additional conservation actions that have taken place since the first Report to Congress was submitted in 2008.

Implementation of the National Coral Reef Action Strategy: Report on NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program Activities from 2007 to 2009 (2010)
In April 2010, the CRCP released a Report to Congress highlighting Program activities from 2007 to 2009. This document is the third of the biennial progress reports on implementation of the National Coral Reef Action Strategy that are required by the CRCA.

International Year of the Reef 2008: The Year in Review (2010) (pdf, 7 mb)
In September 2010, the Internationl Coral Reef Initiative and partners released a report outlining the accomplishments of the International Year of the Reef 2008.

Implementation of the National Coral Reef Action Strategy: Report to Congress on US Coral Reef Task Force Agency Activities From 2004 to 2006 (2008)
In June 2008, NOAA, in cooperation with the USCRTF, released the second of the biennial progress reports required by the CRCA.

Report on the Status of Local Action Strategies to Conserve and Protect Coral Reefs For Years 2002-2006 (2008)
This report provides an overview of the progress that states, territories, federal agencies, and nongovernmental partners made from 2002–2006 in developing and implementing Local Action Strategies (LAS) to reduce threats to the Nation's coral reef ecosystems. (NOAA Technical Memorandum CRCP 5)

Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program (2008)
In March 2008, NOAA released the first report to Congress on the Implementation of the Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program, called for in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006. Prepared under the auspices of NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program and in consultation with the Nation's eight Regional Fishery Management Councils, the report provides information on steps taken by NOAA and its partners to identify, monitor, and protect deep sea coral areas.

Implementation of the National Coral Reef Action Strategy: Report to Congress on US Coral Reef Task Force Agency Activities From 2002 to 2003 (2005)
In September 2005, NOAA, in cooperation with the USCRTF, released this document, which provides a nation-wide status report on implementation of the NAP and the CRCA.  It is the first in a series of biennial progress reports required by the CRCA.

A National Coral Reef Action Strategy: Report to Congress 2002-2003 (2002)
In September 2002, NOAA, in cooperation with the USCRTF, released the National Action Strategy (NAS), a nation-wide status report to Congress on implementation of the NAP and the CRCA.

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