Coral Reef Conservation Act Reauthorization and Enhancement Amendments of 2016

Coral Reef Conservation Act Reauthorization and Enhancement Amendments of 2016

This bill amends the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 to extend the award of coral reef conservation program grant funds to appropriate projects, including monitoring and assessment, research, pollution reduction, education, and technical support.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of the Interior are authorized to undertake emergency actions to: (1) minimize injury to a coral reef or a coral reef ecosystem; and (2) stabilize, repair, or restore a coral reef. It is unlawful to injure a coral reef or its ecosystem subject to certain exemptions.

The bill modifies the goals and objectives of the national coral reef action strategy. NOAA must submit a report to Congress describing all activities undertaken to implement the strategy.

Additionally, NOAA is authorized to: (1) make community-based planning grants for increased protection of high priority coral reefs, (2) maintain an inventory of all coral reef vessel groundings, (3) identify all coral reefs with a high incidence of vessel impacts, and (4) identify measures to reduce such impacts.

NOAA must also submit an international coral reef ecosystem strategy to Congress and may establish an international coral reef ecosystem partnership program. The international strategy must be published in the Federal Register.

The bill establishes the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force to coordinate federal actions that are designed to preserve and protect coral reef ecosystems. Additionally, the 12 federal agencies on the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force are authorized to carry out either individually or cooperatively, prize competitions that promote coral reef research and conservation.