National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Socioeconomic Component

The socioeconomic component of the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) collects data on a set of core socioeconomic indicators that are regularly measured over time in each of the seven inhabited U.S. coral reef jurisdictions (Florida, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hawai'i, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

The data are collected through a standardized survey administered to residents of each jurisdiction, so that NCRMP can track relevant information about the resident population, social and economic structure, the benefits of coral reefs and related habitats, the perceived impacts of society on coral reefs, and the impacts of coral management on communities. This information is used to improve programs designed to protect coral reefs at local, regional, and national levels, as well as to inform continuing research and communication products.