CORAL REEFS IN THE NATIONAL PARKS

National Treasures

Congress and the American public have entrusted the National Park Service with managing and protecting more than 275,000 acres of coral reefs in ten National Park units. Two of these units are located in South Florida, four in the U.S. Virgin Islands, two in the Hawaiian Islands and two are in the Indo-Pacific (Guam and American Samoa). These Parks are not only outstanding places to enjoy snorkeling, SCUBA diving, fishing, and boating; they contain some of the most biologically rich and economically important coral reef resources in the world. Among them is War-in-the-Pacific National Historic Park (NHP), Guam, home to an estimated 3,500 to 4,000 marine species. Dry Tortugas National Park in South Florida was originally reserved in 1935 as Fort Jefferson National Monument. On July 1, 2001, it became part of the largest fully protected underwater ecological reserve in North America in combination with the Tortugas Ecological Reserve (197 square miles). Biscayne National Park is the largest NPS marine unit with about 168,666 acres of coral reefs, sea grass, mangrove shorelines, and uninhabited islands.

Reef Facts and Figures

The National Park Service manages ten areas containing tropical and subtropical coral reef resources, totaling 270,524 acres in the South Atlantic/Caribbean and 6,147 acres in the Pacific for a total of 276,671 acres. A Congressionally authorized expansion of the National Park in American Samoa will add 1,500 acres to the Park’s existing 2,550 acres of coral reefs if approved by the territorial government. The second largest coral reef unit after Biscayne National Park is Dry Tortugas National Park (64,661 marine acres) also located in South Florida. Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument (12,708 marine acres) is the most recently created coral reef Park located near St. John and established by Presidential Proclamation in 2001. Buck Island Reef N.M. near St. Croix was expanded to over 19,000 acres at the same time.

The earliest establishment of a NPS unit with coral reef resources came with the designation of Fort Jefferson National Monument in 1935 by Presidential Proclamation. Commercial fishing was prohibited within park waters at that time. Congress clearly stated the conservation mandate for the surrounding waters of Fort Jefferson when it established Dry Tortugas National Park (“To protect and interpret a pristine subtropical marine ecosystem, including an intact coral reef community:” Public Law 102-525 of 1992). Virgin Islands National Park was established in 1956 but coral reef areas were not added for protection until 1962. Biscayne N.M. (expanded and designated a National Park in 1980) was created in 1968 "to preserve and protect for the education, inspiration, recreation, and enjoyment of present and future generations a rare combination of terrestrial, marine and amphibious life in a tropical setting of great natural beauty." All of the remaining NPS areas with coral reef resources have been established since the late 1970s. Thus, unlike our terrestrial National Parks that were protected since the early 1900s, our most significant coral reef Parks did not begin to receive protection until the 1960s.

Units of the National Park System with Coral Reef Resources

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Park/Date Established	Marine Area	Total Park Area	Legislation	Resources
Caribbean/South Florida Parks
Biscayne National Park	168,552 Ac.	172,925 Ac.	P.L. 96-287 (16USC 410gg)	Tropical bay, islands, coral reefs, seagrass, turtle nesting, marine mammals
Buck Island Reef National Monument	18,839 Ac. 3.2 mi coastline	19,015 (all Federal)	PresProc 7392 PresProc 3443 Amd 4346 & Amd 4359	Offshore island; patch, spur & groove, barrier reef; unusual Elkhorn coral formations; algal plain; shelf edge; sea turtle nesting; historic ship wrecks; prehistoric conch middens
Dry Tortugas National Park	64,661 Ac. (all Oceanic)	64,700 Ac. (61,480 Federal)	Proc 2112 P.L. 96-287, II P.L.102-525	Isolated "atoll like" coral reef area with lagoonal patch reefs, barrier reef, and tropical seagrass beds
Salt River National Historical Park	600 Ac. Total	912 Ac.	P.L.102-247 (16USC 410)	Mangrove forests; seagrass beds; fringing reefs; submarine canyons
Virgin Islands National Park	5,650 Ac. 36 mi. coastline	14,689 Ac. Total (12,910 Federal)	70 Stat 940 (16 USC 398)	Boundary up to 1 mi. offshore (variable); tropical beach; fringing reefs; patch reefs; seagrass bads; tropical islands; sea turtle nessting; submerged prehistoric and historic sites
Virgin Islands Reef National Monument	12,768 Ac. (all Oceanic)	12,708 Ac.	Pres Proc 7399	Mangrove shorelines; algal plains; raised hardbottom; patch reefs
Pacific Parks
American Samoa	2,550 Ac. 20 mi. coastline	10,520 Ac.	P.L. 100-571	boundary extends 1/4 mi. offshore (6 fathom depth); 3 coastal units; fringing coral reefs; spur & groove reef formations; giant clams; sea turtle nesting; humpback whales; tropical beach; and inter tidal pools
Kalaupapa National Historical Park	2,000 Ac. Marine under Coop Agreement with State DLNR	10,797 Ac. 6 mi. coastline	410j.j. 1-9 (23 Federal)	boundary to 1/4 mi. offshore, includes coral patch reefs; sea turtles; monk seals; and humpback whales
Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park	597 Ac. Marine 1.7 mi. coastline	1,161 Ac. (616 Federal)	P.L. 95-625 (16 USC 396d-e)	tropical bay, fish ponds, tide pools, and coral reefs
War-In-The-Pacific National Park	1,002 Ac. Marine 4 mi. coastline	1,960 Ac. total (916 Federal)	P.L. 95-348 (16 USC 410dd.)	tropical beach and fringing coral reefs, lagoon and grassbeds

Popular Yet Imperiled
More than 1.5 million people per year visit these Parks, generating millions in tourism revenues for local economies in Florida, the Caribbean and Pacific Islands. At the same time, mounting evidence is showing that impaired water quality, overfishing, and recreational impacts are degrading these precious resources. Reef ecosystems are being undermined, curtailing opportunities for the public to enjoy healthy coral reefs. The two most frequently cited management concerns at NPS coral reef parks are ongoing and potential impacts from adjacent land or water uses, and overfishing of reef fish and shellfish resources. Impacts from adjacent areas include increased sedimentation and degradation of water quality from urban coastal development, increased boating traffic, nonpoint source pollution, effects of commercial harvest from immediately adjacent waters, and offshore oil exploration in adjacent waters.

Executive Order Calls for Coral Reef Protection
Impacts reported in the National Parks reflect a disturbing worldwide trend. Twenty-seven percent of coral reefs have been lost or seriously degraded worldwide and another 60 percent are threatened, according to the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network and the World Resources Institute. The Coral Reef Protection Executive Order of 1998 (E.O. 13089) established policies and actions needed to address the growing threats to the nation’s coral reefs. Charged by the Executive Order to lead this effort, a U.S Coral Reef Task Force of 17 federal, state and territorial agencies led by the Departments of Interior and Commerce is coordinating the response to threats from impaired water quality, overfishing, coral bleaching and disease. As part of the Interior Department, the National Park Service is a key player under the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force. In March, 2000, the Task Force adopted the National Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs, a comprehensive blueprint with two major themes: a) better understand coral reef ecosystems, and, b) reduce the adverse impacts of human activities. The Action Plan was endorsed in the 2002 Coral Reef Action Strategy reported to Congress by the Bush Administration.

Marine Reserves Offer Promising Future for Parks

Overall Accomplishments in Coral Reef National Parks

NPS Coral Reef Management is Still Evolving

Virgin Islands Coral Bleaching Fact Sheet

Partnerships are Key to Success

The National Park Service is pursuing cooperative programs with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Geological Survey, states and universities to better understand and evaluate the condition and functioning of coral reefs in the National Parks, and respond to threats to reef resources. These partnerships are already yielding important results to Park managers. In addition, the National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program through its Vital Signs program is establishing monitoring plans for individual Parks in the South Florida/Caribbean and Pacific Islands monitoring networks. The Vital Signs program identifies and tracks indicators of ecological condition and concern to each Park, including marine resources, to provide scientifically sound information they need to effectively manage coral reef resources. Partnerships support NPS efforts to protect coral reef resources for the benefit of current and future generations.