U.S. Coral Reef Task Force meeting in Washington, D.C.

Public sessions on Thu., Feb. 23

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The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force’s biannual meeting will be held February 21 to 23 in Washington, D.C., with public sessions on Thu., Feb. 23.
The forereef benthic community at Swains Island in American Samoa is dominated by an assemblage of plating Montipora and branching cauliflower coral (Pocillopora meandrina).

The forereef benthic community at Swains Island in American Samoa is dominated by an assemblage of plating Montipora and branching cauliflower coral (Pocillopora meandrina). (Image credit: NOAA)

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The meeting will emphasize the importance of coral reef conservation and highlight conservation strategies and successes, and will also promote an enhanced vision for how the task force can meet the challenges facing coral reefs, and the communities and economies that depend on them.

Key discussion topics during the meeting will include the vital role of coral reefs to human well-being, the global economic value of coral reefs, exploring coral reef conservation solutions in a changing climate, local land use and watershed management practices, climate vulnerability and more.

WHAT:
37th biannual U.S. Coral Reef Task Force meeting

WHEN:
Public sessions on Thu., Feb. 23, 8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EST and 1:30-4:45 p.m. EST. Journalists are welcome to attend.

WHO:

  • W. Russell Callender, Ph.D., assistant NOAA administrator for the National Ocean Service

  • Shawn Buckner, deputy director, Office of Policy Analysis, Department of the Interior

WHERE:
Department of the Interior, South Building Auditorium, 1925 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20006

Registration details and the business meeting agenda are available online, as is a list of task force members.

The meeting is co-chaired by the Department of Commerce, through NOAA, and the Department of the Interior. It brings together representatives from 12 federal agencies, officials from state/territory governments, and delegates from three freely associated states. NOAA’s  Coral Reef Conservation Program is a key partner in the task force and its efforts.

 

Media contact:
Keeley Belva, 240-533-0940

 

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