The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) awards grants in the USA and internationally to address negative impacts to coral reefs, and to improve the effectiveness of coral reef management. The deadline for pre-proposals for the 2016 Coral Reef Conservation Fund is March 8, 2016, by 11:59 PM Eastern Time. [Full Proposal Due Date (by invitation only): May 16, 2016 by 11:59 PM Eastern Time.]
Focus areas in the Caribbean are: Guánica, Culebra, Cabo Rojo, and the Northeast Reserves in Puerto Rico; Coral Bay and Fish Bay, St John, USVI; East End Reserve, St. Thomas, USVI; East End Marine Park Watersheds, St. Croix, USVI; and Boynton Inlet, Florida.
Grants will be awarded to reduce land-based sources of pollution, advance coral reef fisheries management, support recovery of Endangered Species Act-listed coral species and improve watershed management planning.
The Coral Reef Conservation Fund is a partnership with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) and works to assist the agency in implementing the CRCP Goals & Objectives for 2010-2015 (still in effect) for domestic coral reefs and the CRCP International Strategy for international coral reefs; both documents can be found here. The Coral Reef Conservation Fund expects to have approximately $500,000 available for funding.
GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS
Domestic U.S. Jurisdictions: Tropical coral reefs in Florida, U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), Puerto Rico, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Of particular interest are watersheds and associated coral reefs that have been designated as priorities by the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (noted with a single asterisk) and NOAA’s Habitat Focus Areas (noted with double asterisk).
| Jurisdiction | Watershed | | Jurisdiction | Watershed |
| Puerto Rico | Guanica* | Hawaii | Ka’anapali-Kahekili, Maui* (Honokowai & Wahikuli watersheds) | |
| Culebra and Northeast Reserves** | Pelekane Bay/ Puako-Anaeho-omalu Bay, Hawaii** (South Kohala watershed) | |||
| Cabo Rojo | American Samoa | Faga’alu* | ||
| Florida | Boynton Inlet | Vatia | ||
| USVI | Coral Bay, St John | Guam
|
Manell-Geus** | |
| Fish Bay, St John | Piti-Asan | |||
| East End Marine Park Watersheds, St. Croix | CNMI | Laolao Bay, Saipan | ||
| East End Reserve, St. Thomas | Talakhaya, Rota | |||
| Garapan, Saipan |
International: Priority will be given to activities in Micronesia, Samoa and the Southwest Pacific, the Coral Triangle region, and the Wider Caribbean; however, all international tropical coral reef locations are eligible. Click for a map.
PROGRAM PRIORITIES
The most competitive applications under this funding opportunity will directly implement projects in the following priority proposal categories. Projects outside of these proposal categories or that indirectly influence these topics are still eligible for funding provided they strongly support the specific goals and objectives of NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) and NFWF as outlined via the Internet links within each focus area.
Projects that incorporate social science elements should use the SocMon methodology in order to fulfill goals. More information and copies of appropriate regional SocMon Guidelines can be found here.
For more information, see http://www.nfwf.org/coralreef/Pages/crcf2016rfp.aspx
[Photo of mangroves in Guánica, Puerto Rico above.]
Repeating Islands 