RPI assisted the NOAA in the preparation of a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for continued implementation of its Coral Reef Conservation Program, which provides for coral reef conservation and restoration consistent with its strategic plan throughout the U.S. jurisdictions. RPI scientists took the lead in preparation of Chapter 4: Environmental Consequences for the three alternatives. They assessed the direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts of the program. The Draft PEIS was released for public comment in December 2019 and the Final PEIS was published in July 2020. All the publicly available documentation is at: https://coralreef.noaa.gov/about/enviro-compliance.html

Example of floating coral nurseries. The top photos shows horizontal line set up and the bottom photo shows the tree style nursery. Photos courtesy of Mote Marine Laboratory.