Cooperative Agreement NA26NOSX482C0001

THE NATIONAL CORAL REEF INSTITUTE (NCRI), HOMED AT NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY (NSU), HAS ALL THE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERTISE TO MEET THE IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM NEEDS OF THE ATLANTIC REEF RESEARCH COORDINATION INSTITUTE (ARRCI). NCRI HAS A PROVEN TRACK RECORD IN CORAL REEF RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION, AND A LONG HISTORY OF COLLABORATIONS WITH NEARLY ALL CORAL REEF RESEARCH COORDINATION INSTITUTES (CRRCS) IN THE REGION. NSU'S OFFICE OF SPONSORED PROGRAMS HAS NEARLY THREE DECADES OF EXPERIENCE MANAGING LARGE-SCALE COLLABORATIVE FEDERAL AND NON-FEDERAL AWARDS WITH FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. NCRI HAS LONGSTANDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE U.S. CORAL REEF TASK FORCE (USCRTF), U.S. ALL ISLANDS COMMITTEE (AIC), THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR'S OFFICE OF INSULAR AFFAIRS (DOI), AND THE SEVEN OF THE U.S. CORAL REEF JURISDICTIONS' LOCAL MANAGEMENT AGENCIES. ADDITIONALLY, NCRI HAS SUCCESSFULLY COORDINATED THE SUSAN L. WILLIAMS NATIONAL CORAL REEF MANAGEMENT FELLOWSHIP FOR TEN YEARS. THE ARRCI GOALS WILL BE TO: (1) LEAD COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS TO CONDUCT ADAPTIVE, INNOVATIVE, AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEM RESEARCH AND RESTORATION AT LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL LEVELS; (2) SUPPORT ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING INITIATIVES THROUGH SUSTAINED DATA COLLECTION AND MANAGEMENT, ANALYSIS, AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION; AND (3) PROVIDE AND BUILD ADDITIONAL CAPACITY WITHIN THE U.S. CORAL JURISDICTIONS FOR CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEM RESEARCHERS, NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGERS, NONPROFITS, AND POLICYMAKERS. AS THE ARRCI, NCRI WILL CONTINUE MANAGING THE NOAA CORAL FELLOWSHIP AND HIRE THE AIC DIRECTOR, A COORDINATION DIRECTOR TO LIAISE ARRCI PARTNERS IN ALL THREE JURISDICTIONS AND A COMMUNICATION AND OUTREACH SPECIALIST TO CREATE AND IMPLEMENT AN OUTREACH AND EDUCATION PLAN. NCRI AND ITS ACADEMIC, GOVERNMENTAL AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL PARTNERS IN FLORIDA, PUERTO RICO AND THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS HAVE THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY EXPERTISE AND ACCESS TO STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES, ENABLING US TO CONDUCT RIGOROUS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN SUPPORT OF THE NATIONAL RESILIENCE STRATEGY. WE WILL PROVIDE DATA-DRIVEN RECOMMENDATIONS, CONTRIBUTE TO THE DESIGN OF ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORKS, AND SUPPORT RESILIENCE-BUILDING INITIATIVES TO CONSERVE AND PROTECT U.S. CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEMS AGAINST CURRENT AND EMERGING THREATS. OUR PROJECT PORTFOLIO AIMS TO INCREASE EFFICACY OF MANAGEMENT OF LAND-BASED SOURCES OF POLLUTION, STRATEGICALLY RESTORE CORAL REEFS, MONITOR AND SUSTAINABLY MANAGE REEF RESOURCES, INCREASE INSTITUTIONAL MANAGEMENT CAPACITY, AND BUILD COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR THE CONSERVATION OF CORAL REEFS. OUR EFFORTS WILL BE GUIDED BY THE LATEST SCIENCE AND INFORMED BY STAKEHOLDER INPUT TO ENSURE RELEVANCE AND EFFECTIVENESS.