National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA)
PEW Charitable Trust: Micronesia Shark Campaign
Coral Reef Monitoring in the FSM, Palau and RMI (Oct. 01, 2011- Sept. 30, 2014, $760,000)The Micronesia Conservation Trust (MCT) proposes to establish a three-year cooperative agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Coral Reef Conservation International Program (CRCP) that will support our shared goals in Micronesia of effectively conserving valuable coral reef ecosystems through conservation planning, on-theground implementation activities, monitoring, and measuring success. This agreement will build on past coral reef monitoring work in the region supported by NOAA and coordinated by MCT and will focus on Priority Goal One set forth in the CRCP International Strategy (2010-2015): to work with regional initiatives to build MPA networks and strengthen local management capacity to improve and maintain resilience of coral reef ecosystems and the human communities that depend on them. A formal, longer-term partnership between NOAA and MCT would help to improve both organizations’ ability to build capacity, assess effectiveness, share information, and capture lessons learned in Micronesia. Funded ProjectsCoral and Fish Monitoring in the State of Kosrae, Kosrae Conservation and Safety Organization (KCSO)This Project consolidated the efforts of the Marine Division of the State Government and KCSO to monitor and assess changes in coral covers over time as well as health and population of corals and fish in all five established monitoring sites in Kosrae, including two new sites, the Utwe Biosphere Reserve and the proposed Tafunsak MPA. Staff efforts from Marine Resources, KIRMA and community volunteers enabled the project team to successfully complete this year's monitoring project. All collected biological data will soon be presented to policy makers in order to support the pending legislation for recognizing the establishment of the marine protected areas in Kosrae. The number of community members involved in underwater data collection significantly increased reflecting the communities' support of the work being done. Other Funded Projects
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