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About Us The United States All Islands Coral Reef Committee The United States Coral Reef Initiative, initiated and defined in great part by the states, territories and commonwealth jurisdictions of the United States, has continued to evolve since its inception in 1993. While the U.S. island jurisdictions of Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, Hawai’i, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands had been meeting informally since 1993, they formally created the U.S. All Islands Coral Reef Committee (AIC) in 1999. The Governors of each of these AIC jurisdictions designated Points of Contact (POCs) to represent them. The State of Florida became a full member of the Committee in 2007. The Freely Associated States (Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands and Republic of Palau) were invited to join the Coral Reef Task Force as non-voting members in August 2000 and were also invited to participate in the U. S. All Islands Coral Reef Committee as Affiliate members. The Committee works closely with the Coral Reef Conservation Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs. The Committee also actively collaborates with other federal agencies who are members of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force. The AIC is a made up of marine resource managers from state, commonwealth, territorial agencies and freely associated states working collaboratively with federal agencies to conserve and protect coral reefs in the United States. The Committee was established to develop a regional mechanism for improving island communications, strengthening our voices in the federal process to conserve coral reefs, and to share common experiences, successes and failures. This Committee has continued to serve as the basis for a "bottom-up" initiative and true partnership approach to environmental management at all levels, program funding, and regional cooperation and coordination. Members meet semi-annually to discuss key policy issues, propose new actions, present progress reports, and update the coral community on past accomplishments and future plans. In addition, the Committee members participate in the USCRTF Steering Committee, which is made up of representatives from each of the participating federal agencies, states, and territories. The Committee meets regularly to discuss progress of current Task Force initiatives and plan new areas for collaboration. The Committee holds semi-annual meetings in Washington, D.C. in the spring and, on a rotational basis, in each of the AIC member jurisdictions in the fall, at the same time as the USCRTF. These meetings provide a venue to report on the status of on-going coral reef initiatives in local areas, an opportunity to discuss resolutions and the status of past resolutions, and allow for public participation in coral reef conservation activities. The Committee elects a member to serve as Chair, and another member to serve as Vice-Chair, who acts as Chair in the Chair’s absence. The term of the Chair and Vice-Chair is two years. The roles and election of officers can be found in the AIC Charter . Pacific Region
 Caribbean Region
History of the All Islands Coral Reef Committee The world’s coral reefs are seriously threatened by over-exploitation, pollution, habitat destruction, invasive species, disease, bleaching and global climate change. The rapid decline of these ancient, complex and biologically diverse marine ecosystems has significant social, economic and environmental impacts in the U.S. coral reef jurisdictions, nationally and globally. Coral reefs are among the most diverse, biologically complex and valuable ecosystems on Earth. Often called rainforests of the sea, coral reefs provide economic and environmental services to millions of people as valuable areas of natural beauty, sources of food, jobs and revenues, recreation and tourism and shoreline protection. "The United States has a significant national interest in protecting its coral reef ecosystems. The area of coral ecosystems within 10 fathom and 100 fathom depth contours respectively in tropical and subtropical water of the United States is 36,813 sq km and 143,059 sq km" (Rohmann et al, 2005). The majority of U.S. coral reefs making up the referenced areas are within State and territorial waters. Coral reefs provide a wide range of valuable services to the nation and the world, including tourism, fishing, coastal protection, biodiversity, and natural heritage. But coral reefs are in peril. By 1997, an estimated 11 percent of the world’s reefs had been lost to a variety of human activities. The growing number of anthropogenic threats that have been identified include: shoreline development, polluted runoff from agricultural and land-use practices, over-fishing and over-exploitation, destructive fishing practices, dredging and shoreline modification, vessel groundings and anchoring, disease outbreaks and global climate change. These threats have been compounded by a lack of awareness and appreciation for coral reefs at local, national and global levels. It is estimated that an additional 32 percent of the world’s coral reefs are now seriously threatened. The U.S. Department of State proposed the Coral Reef Initiative in 1993, and formally announced its establishment in Barbados at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in May 1994. The global response to this coral reef crisis resulted in the establishment of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) in 1994 by eight governments, including the United States, who recognized the importance of halting and reversing the global degradation of coral reef ecosystems. Members from the U.S. Islands actively participated in these discussions. The American Flag Pacific Islands of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, Guam and Hawai’i prepared and formalized their own Coral Reef Initiative at a Pacific Basin Development Council meeting in December 1994. In the Caribbean region, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Florida subsequently developed a regional Coral Reef Initiative. The Freely Associated States of the The American Flag Pacific Islands of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, Guam and Hawai’i prepared and formalized their own Coral Reef Initiative at a Pacific Basin Development Council meeting in December 1994. In the Caribbean region, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Florida subsequently developed a regional Coral Reef Initiative. The Freely Associated States of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau were invited to join the Coral Reef Task Force as non-voting members in August 2000 and were also invited to participate in the All Islands Committee as affiliate members. By 1995 Coral Reef Initiative working groups had formed in each Pacific Island jurisdiction. These groups included government and non-government interests. A collaborative monitoring program began in the Caribbean to gather baseline data. In September 1997, the U.S. Islands Coral Reef Initiative met in Maui, Hawai’i to coordinate an island strategy. The results of this workshop were published in the US Islands Coral Reef Initiative Summary Report, known as the "Blue Book" and outlined strategies for coral reef management in each island jurisdiction. At the national level, the United States also established the U.S. Coral Reef Initiative to design and implement improved management of coral reef resources, education, monitoring, research, and restoration efforts to conserve and sustainably use coral reef ecosystems. In 1997, the Congress passes a House Concurrent Resolution recognizing the significance of maintaining the health and stability of coral reef ecosystems. The All Islands Committee provides a mechanism for island concerns and interests to be heard through a unified voice, helps clarify the process by which the islands and their federal partners can more effectively communicate and cooperate, and develops a means by which collaborative sharing can improve coral reef management and protection at all levels. The Committee also adopted the US All Islands Coral Reef Initiative Strategy or "Green Book" which included vision and mission statements, a sustainability statement, and proposals for local action strategies. The All Islands Committee by its Charter and Strategic Action Plan 2008-2013, and the core principles developed by the USCRTF’s National Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs and the and the National Action Strategy. Members and Affiliate Members: The All Islands Coral Reef Committee has 7 Members and 3 Affiliate Members. Click on the jurisdiction name for brief profiles and maps. Members: Affiliate Members: U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF)In response to the growing global environmental crisis, President William Jefferson Clinton issued the Coral Reef Protection Executive Order 13089 on June 11, 1998 recognizing the importance of conserving coral reef ecosystems. The Executive Order recognized that the existing US Islands Coral Reef Initiative strategy covered approximately 90 percent of US coral reef ecosystems and was a key element of the overall US Coral Reef Initiative. The USCRTF has been instrumental in building partnerships and strategies for on-the-ground action to conserve coral reefs. The Task Force includes leaders of 12 federal agencies, seven U.S. states and territories, and three freely associated states who work in cooperation with local government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, the scientific community and commercial interests to further the understanding and conservation of coral reef ecosystems. The CRTF is responsible for overseeing implementation of the Executive Order, and developing and implementing coordinated efforts to map and monitor U.S. coral reefs; research the causes and solutions to coral reef degradation; reduce and mitigate coral reef degradation from pollution, over fishing and other causes; and implement strategies to promote conservation and sustainable use of coral reefs internationally.(Read more)
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All Contents © 2007 United States All Islands Coral Reef Committee
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