Climate Change and Marine Disease Local Action Strategy

Coral reef ecosystems are naturally dynamic and geologically resilient, but their ecosystem functions are being threatened worldwide by accelerated and novel environmental changes due to human activities. In 2002, the US Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) identified six management focus areas based on a prioritization of nationwide threats: coral reef fisheries, land-based pollution, lack of public awareness, recreational use, coral bleaching, and reef organism disease. The USCRTF requested that each United States jurisdiction develop three-year plans, or local action strategies (LAS), for each of the priority threats and tasked the federal members of USCRTF to work with the local jurisdictions on their development. The Climate Change and Marine Disease LAS marks the completion of Hawaii’s LAS process. The LAS has been developed with extensive input from agencies, researchers, and NGOs.

We are soliciting additional comments and suggestions on this Final Draft (4.3 MB PDF, updated Mon 25 Sep 06) before finalizing the LAS. Please use the CCMD reply form when providing your comments (download the form as a Word document). Send comments to Dr Greta Aeby (email: greta@hawaii.edu).

The comment period will end on September 30, 2006.

 

Photo of coral head.